Love, Spells and PolyJuice
by Padfootette
Summary: Teulu Seren Potter (femharry) and Draco are secrelty dating and he has just proposed to her in their fifth year when someone brings the seveth book to umbridge for the whole of Hogwarts, Order and some Ministy members to read. How will Teulu's friends and family react to her secretly going out with Draco for nearly a year and a half Draco is now Draco Black Cl0ud nine made the cvr
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

**Disclaimer: None of this is mine it all belongs to J. , Warner Brothers and Heyman filmimg. **

**And thank u to my beta.**

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**Prologue:**

Teulu Potter was walking through the halls of Hogwarts castle alone just after lunch to get away from her arguing best friends. It was just after the Christmas holidays and she was glad to use the excuse to see her boyfriend after nearly a year and a half of dating.  
She turned the corner onto the seventh floor and broke into a wide smile as she saw Draco waiting for her, leaning casually against the wall. When his eyes met hers, his eyes lit up like sparkling diamonds and he held his arms out for her. Teulu smiled and ran into Draco's outstretched arms. Draco smiled as he wrapped his arms around his girlfriend he couldn't believe how much he missed her in just two weeks. Draco gently lifted Teulu's chin up looking into her bright emerald eyes that he loved so much, and leaned in to kiss her.

***Draco's P.O.V.:***

After we pulled back from our passionate kiss which seemed the first after a lifetime apart, I held Lu tight to my chest as we got our breath back.  
I kissed the top of her head and rested my cheek on her waist length wavy auburn hair.  
"I missed you Dray," Lu whispered into my chest.  
I smirked knowing she was smelling in musky, sandalwood cologne as she said it calmed her but then her flowery perfume also calmed me.  
"I missed you too Lu." I whispered into her sweet smelling hair that smelt of rose and Moroccan oil, which I loved.  
Lu pulled back and smiled that wonderful smile of hers that always left me short of breath; I don't even think she knows what she does to me.  
I leaned down and captured those sinfully red, full pouty lips in a searing kiss, as it started to get heated with my hands running the length of her body as she clenched her small hands in my platinum blonde hair; we regretfully separated as we heard the toad's voice magically echo throughout Hogwarts.

"WILL ALL STUDENTS AND STAFF PROCEED TO THE GREAT HALL IMMEDIATELY! ANY STUDENT NOT IN THE HALL WITHIN IN TEN MINUTES WILL HAVE DETENTION!" The toad's sickly voice screamed. I sighed wondering what the toad wanted now, as I felt my beautiful princess start to pull back I pulled her back into my chest and start kissing the sensitive spot on her neck near her collar bone, making her moan deliciously. "D-Dray." Lu moaned again as I started to make a love bite on her neck so it was in plain sight of everyone, I added another one for good measure on the other side of her neck. When I finally pulled back I was glad to see two equally bright purple bites on her neck in plain sight. "D-Dray... we need to g-go." Lu panted breathlessly.

"Not yet baby." I said surprising her as I got down on one knee in front of her and pulled a plush velvet black jewellery box from my robe pocket and opened it showing a platinum-gold engagement ring with an emerald in the middle and four small diamonds, two on either side of it, on the inside were the words 'Bydd eich calon am byth fod yn fy drysor, fy nghariad.' This meant, 'Your heart will forever be my treasure, my love.' In welsh as I knew that Lu's mother's side was welsh and I also knew that people would say we were rushing things but we didn't care as I loved her as soon as I set my eyes on her in Madam Malkin's and it took me till third year to stop being a prat and get to know her properly. "Teulu Seren Potter, my beautiful princess I love you with all of my heart I have done since I first set eyes on you, even if it took me ages to stop being a prat to get your attention. I know Lucius will not agree but I don't care I'm a Black now thanks to mother, so will you do me the honour of becoming Mrs. Draco Black?" I asked nervously as Lu had tears running down her face.

"Yes. Yes of course I'll marry you Draco." Lu said breathlessly, I smiled happily and jumped up and took the ring out of the box smirking as Lu gasped when she caught sight of the engraved words before I slipped it onto her left ring finger which was a perfect fit. I kissed the top of her small hand before kissing her firmly on the lips. When we pulled back nearly five minutes later I smirked at her bruised lips and flushed face and the fact that she was all mine. "I guess we better go." Lu sighed, I nodded taking her hand as we went through the secret passageways so we could stay together longer as only a select few knew about our relationship.

***Normal P. O. V.:***

As Teulu entered the Great Hall she saw all of the Order were sat at the Gryffindor table including Sirius who was in his Animagus form next to Remus with Ron and Hermione opposite him. "Ahh Miss Potter so nice for you to finally join us, I think a weeks' worth of detention will help you with your time keeping." Umbitch, I mean Umbridge, said in a simpering voice from the head table where Madam Bones, Fudge and Percy sat. As she spoke everyone turned to look at her and gaped at her ruffled appearance, out of the corner of her eye she saw Draco sitting at the Slytherin table with his fists clenched with Narcissa trying to calm her son down.

Teulu shrugged at Umbridge and headed over to the Gryffindor and sat down next to Remus and laughed as Sirius licked her hand. "Mate where have you been and why do you have two large bruises on either side of your neck?" Ron asked. Teulu rolled her eyes at him and absentmindly tucked a stray hair behind her left ear unconsciously showing everyone her engagement ring. Hermione gasped as she saw the ring on her finger. "Lu where did you get that ring?" Teulu looked down at her ring and smiled as she remembered what happened only a few minutes ago, but before she could reply Neville spoke to her. "He finally proposed to you then? It's about time." Neville stated.

"Who proposed to you Cub?" Remus asked.  
"My boyfriend. We've been dating since last year and he proposed to me a little while ago." Teulu said.  
"That is not enough time to know each other before getting engaged." Mrs Weasley chastised.  
Teulu shrugged as she sipped her drink. "We love each other so that's all that matters as far as we are concerned."  
"Who is it Cub?" Remus asked worried that she had someone much older than her. Teulu looked over at the Slytherin table where Draco was sitting with his mother, where he nodded his head to her as he and his mother got up and made their way over to the Gryffindor table. "It's Draco." Teulu said simply.

"WHAT?!" Ron roared. "WHY ARE YOU GOING OUT WITH THAT FERRET FOR? AND WHY DID YOU EVEN SAY YES TO HIM WHEN HE PROPOSED?!" Ron continued gathering the attention of everybody in the Hall.  
"This is why I didn't tell you and only told Luna, Nev, Fred and George as I knew you would react like this and Mione wouldn't be far behind you over your petty grudges. I went out with him because I love him. We got to know each other in third year after Mione punched him and I apologised to him and he apologised to me after he told me the only reason he was acting like that was because of his father and that some people in Slytherin would tell his father how he was being nice to us so he had to act like that even though he didn't want to." Teulu said glaring at her best friends as Hermione had opened her mouth to speak after Ron.  
"I'm sorry Lu. I know you wouldn't go out with someone let alone accept their proposal if you didn't trust them. We just worry about you is all. When did you two start going out then?" Hermione asked she smiled as Draco came up behind Lu and wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck making Lu giggle.

When Draco pulled back he answered instead. "Well Granger as Lu said we got to know each other throughout third year, the summer and the beginning of fourth year where she realised she started to have feelings for me. I had always loved her from the moment I saw her in Diagon Alley on her birthday and that was before I knew who she was. And when Lu told me she had feelings for me she was scared it would ruin our friendship, but I told her I felt the same and we got together in the middle of November. And I would never let anything happen to her." Draco said kissing her temple, he then sat down in between Teulu and Remus and wrapped his arm around her waist.

Remus saw how much Draco cared for his Cub and the fact that Moony was purring with pride that someone was there for his baby made it worth it and he scooted by the bench for Draco to sit down, who smiled in thanks as he sat in between himself and his Cub. Remus cleared his throat catching the attention of those around him and held his hand out to Draco. "Welcome to the family Mr Malfoy. I give you and my Cub my blessing but if you ever hurt my Cub in anyway you will have me to answer too." Remus said sternly.  
Draco nodded his head and shook Remus' hand. "Thank you Mr Lupin, and I would never hurt Lu or let anything hurt her. And its Draco Black now as my mother let me take her maiden name as we want nothing to do with Lucius. Mother is only staying there to protect me and after this year I'm leaving that house as I want nothing to do with Lucius or Voldemort." Draco said getting a smile out of Remus as he nodded his head to him. Draco looked down the table to see his mother, Blaise, Daphne and Astoria Greengrass and Millicent Bulstrode had joined the Gryffindor table and were sitting on the opposite side talking happily with Lu, except his mother who was sitting next to Luna who was next to Lu with Padfoot in between them. As Draco looked around the hall he saw everyone's mouth hanging open at the number of Slytherins at the Gryffindor table talking happily with Lu and then turning to look at him as he still had an arm around Lu's waist.

"Lu dear could I see the ring Draco choose for you as he would never let me see." Narcissa asked.  
"Not that you didn't try to look at it, mother, during the holidays." Draco grumbled.  
"Oh, hush Draco." Narcissa said waving a hand at him making Lu giggle and hold out her left hand showing them her ring. "Oh it is beautiful Darling." Narcissa beamed. As Lu went to answer she was interrupted by Umbridge clearing her throat. "Now that everyone is settled." Umbridge said with a glare over to Teulu. "I was in my office earlier when a young man from the future came to my office with a book that would expose all of Teulu Potter's lies. I have checked to make sure he was telling me the truth and that the book was true with no curses or such things on it." Umbridge said and with that the door to the side chamber opened up and a young man who looked to be sixteen entered the room. As he came further into the room people could see that he had Draco's white-blonde hair and that it stuck up in every direction and that he also had the facial features from Teulu except for his strong chin which he also got from Draco. They saw that he also had Teulu's bright emerald eyes, but Draco's eye shape. Teulu gasped when she saw him and looked to her fiancé with wide eyes, as he nodded and pecked her on the cheek silently answering her unspoken question.

"Now you all may be wondering what type of book this young man brought with him and who he is so I shall tell you." Umbridge said with a evil smirk over to Teulu making Remus and those that cared about her (including Ron who seemed to have calmed down now after his shouting match at seeing Teulu the happiest he has ever seen her) glare at Umbridge. "Now this young man is called Scorpious S. Black and if you haven't guessed already he is the sixteen year old son of Draco Black and Teulu Potter and he has brought the book called Teulu Potter and The Deathly Hallows which is all about Potter's seventh year at Hogwarts and is in her point of view, and I shall be ready first as there are no classes as the Minister agrees with me that this will expose Potter's nasty lies." Umbridge said triumphantly. As she was talking Scorpious was walking towards the Gryffindor table and sat down opposite his younger parents. He noticed that even now his mother had the haunted look in her eyes, but it was less pronounce than it is in the future.

Teulu bit her bottom so hard with nerves that it began to bleed. All her thoughts rushing to her past life with the Dursleys, her tiny hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms. Scorpious reached across the table and took his mother's hand in his as Draco took Teulu's and Scorpious' free hand. "Shhh baby. Everything's going to be all right I promise." Draco said squeezing Teulu's hand and kissing her temple. But before she could say anything in reply Umbridge cleared her throat again. "We shall begin reading now." Umbridge said picking up the large book in front of her. "This book is called: Teulu Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Chapter One, The Dark Lords Ascending." There was a pause after Umbridge had read out the name of the chapter until...

"Is this some kind of joke?" Fudge demanded glaring at Scorpious, making Draco and Teulu bristle in anger, but before they could say anything Scorpious beat them to it. "The titles in the book are one hundred percent correct if you don't believe me then carry on reading." Scorpious sneered sounding much like Draco did in first year. Fudge turned a nasty puce colour but Umbridge ignored him and cleared her throat and re-read the chapter title starting the book.


	2. Chapter 2: The Dark Lord's Ascending

A/N: This is different to J.K Rowling's books as Remus is married to Sirius and Tonks is with Kingsley and they still have Teddy and Teulu is still the godmother of him, and Teulu has emerald eyes, auburn hair and no glasses and is adopted by Sirius and Remus and is engaged to Draco and in the books she  
is married to him and lives with him as he did not become a Death Eater Theo Nott did and he was th one who tried to kill Dumbledore.

_**Bold Italics**_: Is what I have I have added.

**Bold**: Is J.K Rowling's work.

_Italics_: thoughts.

_*Italics*: _Any words in italics with this * means Parseltongue not in the books.

There is now a link on my profile that shows the enagement ring that Draco gave Teulu.

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Chapter Two:

**"Chapter One, The Dark Lord's Ascending."** Umbridge read.  
**The two men appeared out of nowhere, a few yards apart, in the narrow moonlit lane.**

"Who are they?" Teulu wondered quietly so those close to her would only be able to hear.  
"I think we'll found out babe." Draco said kissing her cheek.

**For a second they stood quite still, wands directed at each other's chests; then, recognising each other, they stowed their wands beneath their cloaks and started walking briskly in the same direction. "News?" asked the taller of the two.  
"The best," replied Severus Snape.**

Everyone in the hall turned towards Snape and either stared at him wandering what he was doing or glaring at him. Scorpious realising what was going to be said stood up. "Whatever happens from now on, no matter how incriminating it looks towards Severus I can assure you he is a double agent and is one hundred percent on the light side, you'll get your answers near the end of the book." with that said he sat back down opposite his parents who smiled at him.

There was a tense silence in the hall as everyone digested the news, though by the looks of some people they didn't believe a word what Scorpious said. The silence carried on until surprisingly Neville broke it. "Well that proves he is just like his mother as he gives the same motivating speeches as Lu." This caused said girl to blush and glare at her god-brother while the Gryffindor table laughed at the pair. Once everyone had calmed down the toad carried on reading.

**The lane was bordered on the left by wild, low-growing brambles, on the right by a high, neatly manicured hedge. The men's long cloaks flapped around their ankles as they marched.  
"Thought I might be late," said Yaxley, his blunt features sliding in and out of sight as the branches of overhanging trees broke the moonlight. "It was a little trickier than I expected. But I hope he will be satisfied. You sound confident that your reception will be good?"**

"I don't understand what's going on." Luna said in her dreamy voice.

**Snape nodded, but did not elaborate. They turned right, into a wide driveway that led off the lane. The high hedge curved with them, running off into the distance beyond the pair of impressive wrought-iron gates barring the men's way. Neither of them broke step: In silence both raised their left arms in a kind of salute and passed straight through, as though the dark metal were smoke.**

Teulu glared at Snape but didn't say anything as she knew Draco still cared for his Godfather.

**The yew hedges muffled the sound of the men's footsteps. There was a rustle somewhere to their right: Yaxley drew his wand again, pointing it over his companion's head, but the source of the noise proved to be nothing more than a pure-white peacock, strutting majestically along the top of the hedge.**

Draco's eyes snapped up. "That's my Manor."

Everyone who heard turned to look at him.

"Don't worry Draco I won't let them harm you or Teulu." Narcissa said reassuringly to her son. Draco nodded to his mother and smiled at his fiancée as she squeezed his hand comfortingly.

**"He always fancied himself well, Lucius. Peacocks. . ." Yaxley thrust his wand back under his cloak with a snort. A handsome manor house grew out of the darkness at the end of the straight drive, lights glinting in the diamond-paned downstairs windows. Somewhere in the dark garden beyond the hedge a fountain was playing.**

Snuffles put his head on Teulu's lap, and nodded. Teulu looked down at him confused before looking to her future mother in law who whispered in her ear that Sirius had been there before when they were younger.

**Gravel crackled beneath their feet as Snape and Yaxley sped towards the front door, which swung inwards at their approach, though nobody had visibly opened it.**

"House elves." Tonks said simply causing Teulu to groan which made Tonks look at her questionly at her friend. "What Lu?" she asked confused.

"You just had to start Mione off about House elves didn't you Tonks." Teulu groaned good-naturedly, but with a pointed look at Hermione who had her arms crossed over her chest and was grumbling under her breath.

"Sorry Lu." Tonks said though she didn't sound it.

**The hallway was large, dimly lit and sumptuously decorated, with a magnificent carpet covering most of the stone floor. The eyes of the pale-faced portraits on the walls followed Snape and Yaxley as they strode past.**

"That sounds a bit disturbing." Angelina said in a quiet voice.

**The two men halted at a heavy wooden door leading into the next room, hesitated for the space of a heartbeat, then Snape turned the bronze handle.**

Nobody said a word. The once who didn't believe Teulu were waiting anxiously for the truth to come out and wondering if Teulu was telling the truth or the Ministry.  
**The drawing room was full of silent people, sitting at a long and ornate table. The room's usual furniture had been pushed carelessly up against the walls.  
**  
Draco grimaced. Even though he knew they were at the manor as he had saw them when he had first arrived there for the Christmas holidays but he had stayed in his room for the whole holiday with his mother telling Lucius that he was studying for his O. which they had thankfully brought so he didn't have to see them which is was happy about and was able to carry on writing to his beautiful fiancée.

Teulu seeing Draco grimaced snuggled into his side and rested her head on his chest. Draco smiled at her and kissed her forehead before wrapping his arm around her shoulders pulling her flush into his embrace.

**Illumination came from a roaring fire beneath a handsome marble mantelpiece surmounted by a gilded mirror. Snape and Yaxley lingered for a moment on the threshold. As their eyes grew accustomed to the lack of light, they were drawn upward to the strangest feature of the scene: an apparently unconscious human figure hanging upside down over the table, revolving slowly as if suspended by an invisible rope,**

Looks of horror washed over almost everyone's face.

"Does it say who it is?" Molly gasped, her hands covering her mouth.

"It will." Scorpious said gravely.

**And reflected in the mirror and in the bare, polished surface of the table below. None of the people seated under this singular sight was looking at it except for a pale young man sitting almost directly below it. He seemed unable to prevent himself from glancing upward every minute or so.**

Umbridge was fidgeting in her seat. Why did Scorpious have to start the book like this? Voldemort is dead.

**"Yaxley, Snape," said a high, clear voice from the head of the table. "You are very nearly late."**

Scorpious stood up again catching the attention of everyone in the hall. "This book is completely accurate, every last detail is in fact true." He said loudly making everyone's face pale and for Remus to look at Teulu constantly and worriedly as though he was itching to grab her and hold her in his arms and never let go.

**The speaker was sitting directly in front of the fireplace, so that it was difficult, at first, for the new arrivals to make out more than his silhouette. As they drew nearer, however, his face shown through the gloom, hairless, snakelike, with slits for nostrils and gleaming red eyes whose pupils were vertical. He was so pale that he seemed to emit a pearly glow.**

Eyes widened in horror…

"No, it can't be." Amelia Bones said in a strained voice.

**"Severus, here," said Voldemort,**

"NO!" Umbridge and Fudge shouted in Unison.

"You see!" Teulu said stairing at the Ministry at the head table. "He's back! Voldemort is back! This book just proved it!"

"The spell was lying then!" Fudge glared pale faced.

"The spell never lies." Scorpious said angrily. "The spell that was used to create this book is the most powerful truth spell to exist Voldemort is back."

Across the hall, everyone who doubted Teulu all shared the same faces of shock, and terror. "You really faced him." Seamus whispered. "You were fourteen, you were kidnapped by Voldemort, and tortured for all we know, and none of us believed you."

Teulu nodded solemnly while Draco held her tighter and glared at Seamus. "I am so sorry." Seamus whispered engulfing her in a gentle hug.

"It's not your fault Seam." She whispered back. "You were too scared to listen, that's not a fault."

"What happened that night?" Amelia asked her. "Please."

Teulu looked at Draco fearfully who held her closer and tightened his arms around her as she took a deep breath and spoke in an emotionless, dead voice which scared those who cared about her, and for Sirius to put his head in her lap to try to give her some comfort as she went on to explain what happened after her and Cedric touched the cup. How Cedric was murdered by a man called Wormtail. (She didn't want to explain about Sirius and Pettigrew yet as she was scared that Sirius might get taken from her before the Ministry got prove that Pettigrew was the traitor), she explained how she was tied up and had her blood taken from her and Voldemort being reborn.

She then explained how Voldemort tortured her, and forced her to duel and used the earliest opportunity to escape and made her way to Cedric's body and Accio'd the cup to her to take them back to Hogwarts. (She didn't explain about the wand connection though). When she finished, she realized that she was crying when Draco wiped the tears from her face as he looked at her worriedly. Remus held his arms open for her looking at his cub worriedly, she squirmed her way out of Draco's hold and sat in between Remus and Draco with the former pulling her into his lap and smiled as Sirius followed their daughter, looking worriedly at her as she clutched Remus' shirt with tears running down her face ignoring all the apologies that were called out to her.

**Indicating the seat on his immediate right.**

"You're his right hand man?" Neville gawked.

"Arrest him!" A HufflePuff seventh year shouted.

"No." Kingsley said, in his deep collected voice. "Mr Black requested that no rash actions be taken, and that everything will be revealed at the end."

"Put a shield around him." Scorpious said to Kingsley. Kingsley nodded and put the shield around Snape.

**"Yaxley –beside Dolohov."**

Every Weasley glared at the book. That was the man who killed Molly's twin brothers.

**The two men took their allotted places. Most of the eyes around the table followed Snape, and it was to him that Voldemort spoke first. "So?"  
"My Lord, the Order of the Phoenix**

"What's that?" Susan asked curiously.

"It's a Secret…well not anymore. It's a society against Voldemort." Dumbledore answered.

**Intends to move **_**Teulu Pot...well now Teulu Black**_** from her current place of safety on** **Saturday next, at night fall."**

"How dare you Severus!" Molly shouted as she slapped him across the face. "You're supposed to be with the Order."

"Molly shhh you'll give it away that I'm a spy." Snape hissed.

"GOOD!" Molly shouted. But before she could say anything else Snape silenced her and she stormed back to sit next to her husband.

**The interest around the table sharpened palpably: Some stiffened; others fidgeted, all gazing at Snape and Voldemort.  
"Saturday . . . at nightfall," repeated Voldemort. His red eyes fastened upon Snape's black ones with such intensity that some of the watchers looked away, apparently fearful that they themselves would be scorched by the ferocity of the gaze. Snape, however, looked calmly back into Voldemort's face  
**  
"How d'you do that?" Justin shuddered. "That sounds bloody terrifying." But Snape just ignored him.

**and, after a moment or two, Voldemort's lipless mouth curved into something like a smile.  
"Good. Very good. And this information comes—"  
"— from the source we discussed," said Snape.  
**  
The Order looked anxiously at each other wondering who would betray them, Remus clutched his daughter to his chest not willing to let her go just yet.

**"My Lord." Yaxley had leaned forward to look down the long table at Voldemort and Snape. All faces turned to him. "My Lord, I have heard differently."  
**  
"Snape's information would probably be more accurate." Moody said reluctantly.

**Yaxley waited, but Voldemort did not speak, so he went on, "Dawlish, the Auror, let slip that Potter will not be moved until the night before the girl turns seventeen."**

"Wait, so this is two years from now?" Teulu asked.

Scorpious nodded his head. "Yes mum, you and dad married at the end of your sixth year but it wasn't a proper one you got married in secret in the Muggle world in a registry office but after the war you had a proper wedding."

"That's good." Draco smiled holding Teulu's hand and kissing her knuckles making her giggle.

**Snape was smiling.**

"That's a creepy mental image." Lee shudders.

**"My source tells me that there are plans to lay a false trail; this must be it. No doubt a Confundus Charm has been placed upon Dawlish. It would not be the first time; he is known to be susceptible."  
"I assure you, my Lord, Dawlish seemed quite certain," said Yaxley.**

Those who understood the Confundus Charm rolled their eyes.

**"If he has been Confunded, naturally he is certain," said Snape. "I assure you, Yaxley, the Auror office will play no further part in the protection of Haley Potter. The Order believes that we have infiltrated the Ministry."**

Everyone in the hall...well almost everyone…gasped at that. "That's impossible." Fudge breathed.

"It happened." Scorpious said darkly.

"But…" Amelia said quietly.

"Not buts." Scorpious said impatiently. "Your defiance to acknowledge that Voldemort has returned has allowed him to gain more power which caused loads of people to die."

**"The Order's got one thing right, then, eh?" said a squat man sitting a short distance from Yaxley; he gave a wheezy giggle that was echoed here and there along the table.**

"This won't happen this time…will it?" Dean asked uncertain.

"I hope not." Scorpious said shaking his head, he hated the haunted looks in his parents eyes his mothers more so than his fathers.

**Voldemort did not laugh. His gaze had wandered upward to the body revolving slowly overhead, and he seemed to be lost in thought.  
"My Lord," Yaxley went on, "Dawlish believes an entire party of Aurors will be used to transfer the girl-**

"We'd never do that." Moody said shaking his head. "The Order is full of trusted individuals, whose loyalty is certain."

"What about Snape?" Lee disagreed.

Moody shook his head. "Dumbledore trusts him, and if you can't trust Dumbledore, who can you trust?"

**Voldemort held up a large white hand, and Yaxley subsided at once, watching resentfully as Voldemort turned back to Snape.**

"Sounds like someone's a bit jealous." Lavender snorted.

**"Where are they going to hide the girl next?"**

"She has a name you know." The twins said. "It's Teulu."

**"At the home of one of the Order," said Snape.**

"Most likely at the Burrow." Arthur said.

**"The place, according to the source, she has been given every protection that the Order and Ministry together could provide.**

"But the Ministry was infiltrated I thought." Parvati questioned.

"But it hasn't fallen." Scorpious replied, and then whispered "Yet."  
Remus and Sirius heard him and looked at him worriedly before looking at their daughter.

**I think that there is little chance of taking her once she is there, my Lord, unless, of course, the Ministry has fallen before next Saturday,**

"Does it?" Charlie asked concerned.

"No." Scorpious replied, and people relaxed. "A few days later it does though." He added in a mumble that only Remus and Sirius heard. Remus paled and Sirius shuddered looking at his daughter and her fiancé not that he was happy to be engaged at fifteen she was not allowed to date until she is fifty but it seemed a little late for that.

**which might give us the opportunity to discover and undo enough of the enchantments to break through the rest."  
"Well, Yaxley?" Voldemort called down the table, the firelight glinting strangely in his red eyes. "Will the Ministry have fallen by next Saturday?"  
Once again, all heads turned. Yaxley squared his shoulders.  
"My Lord, I have good news on that score. I have – with difficulty, and after great effort – succeeded in placing an Imperious Curse on Pius Thicknesse."**

"Oh my god." Tonks whispered eyes wide. "I didn't know it was possible to get him with it."  
**Many of those sitting around Yaxley looked impressed; his neighbour, Dolohov, a man with a long, twisted face, clapped him on the back. "It is a start," said Voldemort. "But Thicknesse is only one man. Our people must surround Scrimgeour before I act. One failed attempt on the Minister's life will set me back a long way."**

"Excuse me?" Fudge said aghast.

"You were replaced at the end of this year." Scorpious told him.

"Why?" Fudge demanded.

Scorpious looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Voldemort got into the ministry, right under your nose, and six underage students got to him, and held off his followers before the Ministry even knew they were there."

"Who held him off?" Teulu asked.

"You, Uncle Ron, Aunt Hermione-"

"Aunt Hermione?" Fred questioned.

"Don't ask, I won't tell you." He smirked. "Aunt Ginny, Uncle Neville and Aunt Luna."

"Luna held them off?" Cho laughed. "Now I know you're full of it."

"It's true." Scorpious said with a glare directed at her. "Hermione went down first –you were fine a few days later-, then Ron went loopy from the brains in the Department of Mysteries –again, don't ask-, then Ginny broke her ankle and couldn't even stand anymore. Luna stayed able until almost the end."

"Wow." Luna breathed. "How did Neville and Seren do?"

He smiled. "Neville stayed active until the very end, his nose was broken, but that was about it, and mum was the same, but her nose was alright."

"Impressive." Moody nodded. "Just like your parents they would have been proud of the both of you." Neville and Teulu beamed with happiness at the thought that their parents would be proud of them.

**"Yes – my Lord, that is true – but you know, as Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Thicknesse**

"No, that's me." Amelia said. "Unless…"  
"You were killed next summer Madam Bones." Scorpious said sadly.

She covered her mouth with her hands in shock. "What happened?" She whispered.  
"You were found with the Dark Mark over your house." He said as gently as he could.

**has regular contact with not only the Minister himself, but also with the Heads of all the other Ministry departments. It will, I think, be easy now that we have such a high-ranking official under our control, to subjugate the others, and then they can all work together to bring Scrimgeour down."**

"So Scrimgeour is a good guy, right?" Daphne clarified.

"I think so yeah." Teulu replied

**"As long as our friend Thicknesse is not discovered before he has converted the rest," said Voldemort. "At any rate, it remains unlikely that the Ministry will be mine before next Saturday. If we cannot touch the girl at her destination, then it must be done while she travels."**

"They'll attack when you're most vulnerable." Kingsley frowned. "It's clever I have to admit."

**"We are at an advantage there, my Lord," said Yaxley, who seemed determined to receive some portion of approval. "We now have several people planted within the Department of Magical Transport. If Potter Apparates or uses the Floo Network, we shall know immediately."**

"We'd probably use Hagrid's Thestrals, and Brooms." Tonks suggested.

**"She will do neither," said Snape. "The Order is eschewing any form of transport that is controlled or regulated by the Ministry; they mistrust everything to do with the place."  
"All the better," said Voldemort. "She will have to move in the open. Easier to take, by far."**

"Would have been a good plan, had someone not told them." Molly said with a glare sent towards Snape.

**Again, Voldemort looked up at the slowly revolving body as he went on. "I shall attend to the girl in person. There have been too many mistakes where **_**Teulu Black nee Potter**_** is concerned.**

Luna looked at Teulu and they both got mischievous looks on their faces and gasped dramatically.

"What?" Draco and Neville asked them.

"He said Seren's name!" Luna exclaimed, with Teulu nodding alone her eyes wide in shock, but when they looked at each other they burst out laughing.

Draco and Neville looked at their respective partners and shook their heads at them with fond smiles on their faces.

**Some of them have been my own. That Potter lives is due more to my errors than to her triumphs."**

"I can agree with that a bit. If he really wanted me dead he should stop talking to me so much." Teulu mused thoughtfully.  
"What'd ya mean?" Dean asked.

"Well, I've met him where I could actually talk to him three times so far. Most of the time he spends talking to me, rather than attempting to kill me."

"Would you have rather him just straight out killed you?" George asked in shock.  
She shook her head. "No of course not, I rather enjoy living, I was just saying for wanting me dead so much, he has done a terrible job at killing me."

**The company around the table watched Voldemort apprehensively, each of them, by his or her expression, afraid that they might be blamed for Teulu Potter's continued existence. Voldemort, however, seemed to be speaking more to himself than to any of them, still addressing the unconscious body above him.**

Some flinched at the reminder.

**"I have been careless, and so have been thwarted by luck and chance, those wreckers of all but the best-laid plans. But I know better now. I understand those things that I did not understand before. I must be the one to kill Teulu Potter, and I shall be."**

"Why does he want to kill me so much." Teulu demanded

.  
"You don't know yet?" Scorpious said aghast. "I had been told that you found out this year."  
"Tell me, please." Teulu asked her future son.

"I'll tell you tonight, okay?" He said, and Teulu nodded.

**At these words, seemingly in response to them, a sudden wail sounded, a terrible, drawn out cry of misery and pain.**

_Please don't be the woman_… many thought.

**Many of those at the table looked downward, startled, for the sound had seemed to issue from below their feet.**  
**"Wormtail," said Voldemort,**

Snuffles growled.

**with no change in his quiet, thoughtful tone, and without removing his eyes from the revolving body above, "have I not spoken to you about keeping our prisoner quiet?"**

Many flinched.

**"Yes, m-my Lord," gasped a small man halfway down the table, who had been sitting so low in his chair that it had appeared, at first glance, to be unoccupied. Now he scrambled from his seat and scurried from the room, leaving nothing behind him but a curious gleam of silver.**

"Silver?" Tonks asked.

Teulu shivered. "You don't want to know." She turned to look up at Remus and whispered. "Papa stay away from him please. I don't want you or daddy to die." she said with tears filling her eyes, Remus pulled his daughter tight against his chest and kissed her auburn hair.

"I promise cub I'll stay away from him we won't leave you I promise." Sirius barked in agreement and jumped up onto the bench and licked her cheek making her giggle.

**"As I was saying," continued Voldemort, looking again at the tense faces of his followers, "I understand better now. I shall need, for instance, to borrow a wand from one of you before I go to kill Potter."**

"Why does he need to borrow a wand?" Multiple people wondered.

**The faces around him displayed nothing but shock; he might have announced that he wanted to borrow one of their arms.**

"That's probably exactly how it would feel." Bill nodded.

**"No volunteers?" said Voldemort. "Let's see . . . Lucius, I see no reason for you to have a wand anymore."**

Amelia took out a Muggle notepad, and a quill and wrote down the names of Death Eaters that were mentioned so far. She wasn't going to make a big scene about it though.

**Lucius Malfoy looked up. His skin appeared yellowish and waxy in the firelight, and his eyes were sunken and shadowed.**

"Azkaban. Nothing more than he deserves." Narcissa said.

**When he spoke, his voice was hoarse.  
"My Lord?"  
"Your wand, Lucius. I require your wand."  
"I . . ."  
Malfoy glanced sideways at his wife. She was staring straight ahead, quite as pale as he was, her long blonde hair hanging down her back, but beneath the table her slim fingers closed briefly on his wrist. At her touch, Malfoy put his hand into his robes, withdrew a wand, and passed it along to Voldemort, who held it up in front of his red eyes, examining it closely.  
"What is it?"  
"Elm, my Lord," whispered Malfoy.  
"And the core?"  
"Dragon – dragon heartstring."**

"I think I need a new wand now." Justin mumbled, looking at the Elm and Dragon Heartstring wand in his hand. Teulu rolled her eyes at his childishness.

**"Good," said Voldemort. He drew out his own wand and compared lengths. Lucius Malfoy made an involuntary movement; for a fraction of a second, it seemed he expected to receive Voldemort's wand in exchange for his own.**

Voldemort, whose eyes widened maliciously, did not miss the gesture.  
"Give you my wand, Lucius? My wand?"  
Some of the throng sniggered.  
"I have given you your liberty, Lucius, is that not enough for you? But I have noticed that you and your family seem less than happy of late . . .

What is it about my presence in your home that displeases you, Lucius?"  
"Nothing – nothing, my Lord!"  
"Such lies, Lucius . . ."  
The soft voice seemed to hiss on even after the cruel mouth had stopped moving. One or two of the wizards barely repressed a shudder as the hissing grew louder; something heavy could be heard sliding across the floor beneath the table.

"Nagini." Hermione said. "Right?"Teulu paled and nodded.

**The huge snake emerged to climb slowly up Voldemort's chair. It rose, seemingly endlessly, and came to rest across Voldemort's shoulders:**

Justin, Hermione and Ginny shivered.

"What?" Teulu asked.

"I'm afraid of snakes." Hermione said, Ginny and Justin nodding along with her.

"Oh right, because of the Basilisk." Teulu nodded.

"Aren't you afraid of snakes too? After you got bitten by it?" Ginny asked.

"WHAT!" cried those who cared about Teulu.

"How are you still alive!" Tonks asked though her hair was no longer purple but a black colour with her head resting on Kingsley's shoulder.

"Phoenix tears." Teulu said simply.

**it's neck the thickness of a man's thigh; it's eyes, with their vertical slits for pupils, unblinking. Voldemort stroked the creature absently with long thin fingers, still looking at Lucius Malfoy.  
"Why do the Malfoys look so unhappy with their lot? Is my return, my rise to power, not the very thing they professed to desire for so many years?"**

"Of course, my Lord," said Lucius Malfoy. His hand shook as he wiped sweat from his upper lip. "We did desire it – we do."

"He slipped up." Kingsley mused.

**To Malfoy's left, his wife made an odd, stiff nod, her eyes averted from Voldemort and the snake. **_**To his right, Theodore Nott who sat between the head of the Malfoy family and his own father.**_

Amelia hesitated to write down the boy's name and his father, as everyone stared at him.

**who had been gazing at the inert body overhead, glanced quickly at Voldemort and away again, terrified to make eye contact.**

"My Lord," said a dark woman halfway down the table, her voice constricted with emotion, "it is an honour to have you here in our family's house. There can be no higher pleasure."

Snuffles let out a whine, and buried his dace in Draco's shoulder making him laugh.

**She sat beside her sister, as unlike her in looks, with her dark hair and heavily lidded eyes, as she was in bearing and demeanour; where Narcissa sat rigid and impassive, Bellatrix**

Neville hissed, and Teulu, Ron, and Hermione looked at him sympathetically. It had only been days since Christmas break ended.

**leaned toward Voldemort, for mere words could not demonstrate her longing for closeness.  
**  
"Is…Is she in love with him?" Fred asked in disgust.

"I think so." Bill replied.

**"No higher pleasure," repeated Voldemort his head tilted a little to one side as he considered Bellatrix. "That means a great deal, Bellatrix, from you."**

Many gross faces were made.

**Her face flooded with colour; her eyes welled with tears of delight.  
"My Lord knows I speak nothing but the truth!"  
"No higher pleasure . . . even compared with the happy event that, I hear, has taken place in your family this week?"  
She stared at him, her lips parted, evidently confused.  
"I don't know what you mean, my Lord."  
"I'm talking about your niece, Bellatrix. And yours, Lucius and Narcissa. **_**And about Draco running off and eloping with Potter, taking your maiden names, Bellatrix, Narcissa.**_

"There talking about us Dray?" Teulu said worriedly. Draco held her hand tighter giving her as much comfort as he could as she was still sitting in her papa's lap.  
"Don't worry about it babe I won't let them hurt you." Draco promised. Teulu smiled at him before turning to Tonks.

"Are they talking about you Tonks?" she asked, her head tilted to the side.  
Tonks nodded, "Yes I'm the only daughter out of the three Black sisters. Which means were family Lu as Draco is my cousin." Tonks smiled at her friend.

_**She has just married the Head Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt. You must be so proud."  
**_  
Tonks grinned so wide it looked like her face hurt. She looked up at Kingsley and kissed him sweetly on the lips.

**There was an eruption of jeering laughter from around the table. Many leaned forward to exchange gleeful look; a few thumped the table with their fists. The great snake, disliking the disturbance, opened its mouth wide and hissed angrily, but the Death Eaters did not hear it, so jubilant were they at Bellatrix and the Malfoys' humiliation. Bellatrix's face, so recently flushed with happiness, had turned an ugly, blotchy red.**

"Wish I could have seen that." Tonks grinned.

**"She is no niece of ours, **_**and Draco is no nephew of mine my Lord, they are blood traitors especially Draco for marrying the enemy."**_** she cried over the outpouring of mirth. "We – Narcissa and I – have not seen our sister since she married the Mudblood.  
**  
Tonks raised an eyebrow. "Did she seriously just call my dad that?"

"Was it that much of a shock?" Moody deadpanned.  
She glared at him, before sighing.

_**This brat has nothing to do with either of us, nor any Dumbledore loving Auror she marries."**_

_**The hilarity mounted; at the expense of the Malfoys'. Lucius looked angry at the thought of his of son betraying the family for the Potter bitch and terrified that he was going to be blamed for his son's behaviour. Narcissa stayed stairing at the opposite wall, but she looked terrified though she masked it well.**_

"Of course I'd be terrified. At the way they're talking about my son and daughter-in-law. I'm not heartless like Lucius." Narcissa said.

**"Enough," said Voldemort, stroking the angry snake. "Enough." And the laughter died at once.**

"Course it did, wish I could shut the D.A. up that easily." Teulu mumbled.

**"Many of our oldest family trees become a little diseased over time," he said as Bellatrix gazed at him, breathless and imploring. "You must prune yours, must you not, to keep it healthy? Cut away those parts that threaten the health of the rest."**

"Does that mean what I think it means?" Hermione asked, eyes wide.

"Killing me and Draco? Yes." Tonks nodded. Teulu's eyes widened in fear as she looked from her friend to her fiancé. Remus glared at Tonks for putting the fear into his daughter even if it was true.

**"Yes, my Lord," whispered Bellatrix, and her eyes swam with tears of gratitude. "At the first chance!"**

"Wow, thanks Auntie." Tonks said rolling her eyes.

**"You shall have it," said Voldemort. "And in your family, so in the world . . . we shall cut away the canker that infects us until only those of the true blood remain. . . ."**

"Filthy hypocrite." Teulu spat.

**Voldemort raised Lucius Malfoy's wand, pointed it directly at the revolving figure suspended over the table, and gave it a tiny flick. The figure came to life with a groan and began to struggle against invisible bonds.**

"I almost forgot about her." Charity said sadly. "Poor woman."

**"Do you recognize our guest, Severus?" asked Voldemort.  
Snape raised his eyes to the upside-down face. All of the Death Eaters were looking up at the captive now, as though they had been given permission to show curiosity. As she revolved to face the firelight, the woman said in a cracked and terrified voice, "Severus! Help me!"**

"It must be someone he knows." Luna frowned.

**"Ah, yes," said Snape as the prisoner turned slowly away again.  
**  
"You won't help her?" Hannah gasped.

"I can't." Snape hissed. "I'm a spy; I can't give away where my true loyalties lie."

**"And you, Theodore?" asked Voldemort, stroking the snake's snout with his wand-free hand. Theodore shook his head jerkily. Now that the woman had woken, he seemed unable to look at her anymore.**

"That proves he's not evil." Teulu said causing the people who heard her to nod in agreement.

**"But you would not have taken her classes," said Voldemort. "For those of you who do not know, we are joined here tonight by Charity Burbage**

BAM!  
Everyone looked round, and saw that Charity had fainted out of her seat.  
As Poppy revived her, many we're looking at the book with a mixture of disgust, hatred, and sadness.  
A few moments later, Charity was awake, and sobbing. She would have to hear her own death.

**Who, until recently, taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."  
There were small noises of comprehension around the table. A broad, hunched woman with pointed teeth cackled.  
"Yes . . . Professor Burbage taught the children of witches and wizards all about Muggles . . . how they are not so different from us . . ."**

"They're not." Teulu said through her tears, even though she didn't take Muggle Studies she still liked Professor Burbage she was a great listener when you needed someone to talk to and she also gave great advice and the only teacher who knew about her and Draco before all this happened.

Charity smiled at Teulu even though she didn't teach her she still liked her as she was always willing to help. She reminded her of Lily who she had gone to school with, even though Charity was a few years ahead of Lily in Hogwarts they still got on well enough.

**One of the Death Eaters spat on the floor. Charity Burbage revolved to face Snape again. "Severus . . . please . . . please . . ."**

Many had to wipe their eyes from the tears threatening to fall.  
"I understand Severus." Charity said. "If you are truly a spy for the light, then you would have killed us both if you said anything."

**"Silence," said Voldemort, with another twitch of Malfoy's wand, and Charity fell silent as if gagged. "Not content with corrupting and polluting the minds of Wizarding children, last week Professor Burbage wrote an impassioned defence of Mudbloods in the Daily Prophet. Wizards, she says, must accept these thieves of their knowledge and magic. The dwindling of the purebloods is, says Professor Burbage, a most desirable circumstance . . . She would have us all mate with Muggles . . . or, no doubt, werewolves . . ."**

"There's nothing wrong with werewolves." Teulu snarled.

**Nobody laughed this time: There was no mistaking the anger and contempt in Voldemort's voice. For the third time, Charity Burbage revolved to face Snape. Tears were pouring from her eyes into her hair. Snape looked back at her, quite impassive, as she turned slowly away from him again.  
"Avada Kedavra."**

A moment of silence fell for the Professor, the first to die in the book.

**The flash of green light illuminated every corner of the room. Charity fell, with a resounding crash, onto the table below, which trembled and creaked. Several of the Death Eaters leapt back in their chairs. Theodore fell out of his onto the floor.**

When everyone looked at him, he held his head high, with his emotions mask on, but when they turned he shuddered in horror.

"Dinner, Nagini," said Voldemort softly, and the great snake swayed and slithered from his shoulders onto the polished wood.

There was another minute of silence for the dead professor even though she wasn't dead yet, but they also used the silence to digest everything they had heard in this chapter. The silence was then broken by Charity who spike in a high pitched voice. "I was eaten by a snake." Poppy ran over to her forced fed her a calming draft to stop the rising panic attack.

"That was the end of this chapter." Umbridge said holding out the book for someone else to read, she didn't care what anybody else said Voldemort was not back.  
"I'll read the next chapter." Teulu said as she Accio'd the book over to her she opened the next chapter and read. **"Chapter Two, In Memoriam."**


	3. Chapter 3: In Memoriam

A/N: What I have changed or added will be in bold italics.

* * *

Chapter Three:

**"Chapter 2: In Memoriam"** Teulu read.  
**Teulu was bleeding.**

"No surprise there." Ron sighed; Remus held her close to his chest as Teulu glared at her best friend. "Thanks a lot Ron." Teulu huffed before continuing with the book.

**Clutching her right hand in her left and swearing under her breath, she shouldered open her bedroom door. There was a crunch of breaking china. She had trodden on a cup of cold tea that had been sitting on the floor outside her bedroom door.  
"What the—?"**

"Don't you dare continue that Teulu Seren Potter." Remus said sternly.

**She looked around, the landing of number four, Privet Drive, was deserted. Possibly the cup of tea was Dudley's idea of a clever booby trap. Keeping her bleeding hand elevated, Teulu scraped the fragments of cup together with the other hand and threw them into the already crammed bin just visible inside her bedroom door. Then she tramped across to the bathroom** _**and knocked on the door. "Dray? Are you going to be much longer in the shower I've cut my finger and I need to run it under the tap." No sooner had the words left her mouth the door flung open and Draco stood in front of Teulu fully dressed though his hair was still damp.**_

"You know you could've come straight in you know the door was unlocked and we are married and if you being sick most of the time could also mean you're carrying our baby." Draco said placing his hand on Teulu's flat stomach.

"WHAT?" Remus shouted.  
"Papa it hasn't happened yet." Teulu tried to soothe him and also Sirius as he was currently growling at Draco making people wonder if he could understand them.

"It better not." Remus snarled, "You're not allowed to get pregnant till your forty." Teulu blushed as Sirius nodded his head and continued with the book.

_**"Dray you don't know that yet." Teulu said but she smiled at the thought and placed her left hand over Draco's. Draco took Teulu's other hand and looked at the finger that had the jagged cut on it, before shaking his head. "What am I going to do with you. I won't use magic to heal it, I don't want you to get into trouble and yes I'll teach you the spell babe after your birthday." Draco said seeing the look Teulu was giving him.**_

"You know it's creepy when you two do that it's like you can read each other's mind." Lee said, Draco and Teulu just shrugged though Teulu smiled at Lee.

_**"But for now I'll do it the Muggle way." Draco said gently pulling his wife into the bathroom to clean her finger. As Draco cleaned her finger she thought that it was a serious flaw in her magical education that they were not taught how to heal wounds—particularly in light of her immediate plans, she was just glad that Draco was coming with her she didn't want to be separated from him.**_

"What immediate plans?" Remus and Narcissa asked, Teulu and Draco just shrugged they didn't know what their future plans were.

_**"There all done." Draco said drying her finger gently before placing a kiss on her nose, making her scrunches it up. Draco laughed as Teulu scowled at him. "Don't do that." she said whacking Draco on the arm, Draco just laughed and shook his head at her playfully before picking up his bag and holding out his hand for her. Teulu took a wad of toilet paper before taking Draco's hand. "What?" Teulu asked seeing Draco's raised eyebrow. "Dudley had left a booby-trap outside my room and I need to clean it up." Teulu said. Draco growled and held her close to him before opening the bathroom door.**_

She used a large wad of toilet paper to mop up as much of the tea as she could, before returning to her bedroom with Draco who slammed the door shut. "Dray calm down." Teulu said wrapping her arms around his neck and placing a kiss to his lips, the anger seemed to seep out of him as he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close to him. "I just don't like how they treat you." Draco sighed. "And don't say your used to it, I still don't like it and you shouldn't be used to it."

"How do they treat you Cub?" Remus asked scared of the answer but he knew he had to ask.  
Teulu sighed knowing she couldn't get them to forget about it. "They don't like me because I have magic they think I'm an unloved and unwanted freak, a worthless whore." she said quietly, but as the hall was so quiet everyone heard, the DA were in uproar at how their friend was treated. Remus and Sirius growled as Remus held her tighter to him as his eyes turned Amber. "Lu dear did...do they beat you?" Narcissa asked uncertainly, Teulu nodded her head. Remus growled louder as he was struggling to keep control of his wolf. Teulu cleared her throat to clear the tension in the hall as Draco, her friends, the Order and the teachers shouted at Dumbledore for leaving her there, once everyone had stopped shouting she carried on with the book.

_**She pecked Draco on the lips once more before struggling out of his tight embrace as she turned to her opened trunk. Teulu had spent the morning completely emptying her school trunk for the first time since she had packed it six years ago.**_

"Why have you never unpacked your trunk Lu?" Hermione asked.  
"There was never any need to. Everything that I owned could fit into my trunk." she answered shrugging her shoulders. Remus swore to himself that he would spoil his daughter this year.  
"That was until I started dating Draco and he and Narcissa brought me new clothes." Teulu said smiling in thanks to her future mother-in-law and her fiancé who kissed her on the cheek making her giggle. Remus smiled, 'Maybe Draco is good for her.' he thought and kissed her head.

**At the start of the intervening school years, she had merely skimmed off the topmost three quarters of the contents and replaced or updated them, leaving a layer of general debris at the bottom—old quills, desiccated beetle eyes, single socks that no longer fit. Minutes previously, Teulu had plunged her hand into this mulch, experienced a stabbing pain in the fourth finger of her right hand, and withdrawn it to see a lot of blood. She now proceeded a little more cautiously. Kneeling down beside the trunk again, she groped around in the bottom and, after retrieving an old badge that flickered feebly between SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY and POTTER STINKS,**

"Why have you kept that babe and Potter's do not stink, you smell beautifully like roses." Draco whispered the last part in her ear so only she could hear making her blush and for Remus to look at her questionly.

**A cracked and worn-out Sneakoscope and a gold locket inside which a note signed R.A.B. **

"R.A.B.?"Teulu wondered. "Papa isn't that daddy's brother?" She whispered to Remus who nodded his head also frowning in thought.

**Had been hidden, she finally discovered the sharp edge that had done the damage. She recognized it at once. It was a two-inch-long fragment of the enchanted mirror that her dead**

Teulu immediately burst into tears as she silently read the next lines, dropping the book onto the table and curling up into Remus' chest and clinging onto his shirt like a small child as her body racked with heart breaking sobs, making those who cared for her look at her in concern.

"Cub?" Remus asked afraid, but also angered by what she had silently read making her cry like this. He looked to Sirius who was whining and rubbing his head on her shoulder trying to get her to calm down, but failing miserably. Draco looked at his sobbing fiancée and then to his future son questionly. "Do you know what has upset her like this Scor?" Draco asked.

Scorpious nodded. "If you carry on dad you'll find out I don't think mum'll calm down anytime soon." He said sadly. Draco nodded and picked up the book continuing from where Lu had left off.

**It was a two-inch-long fragment of the enchanted mirror that her dead Godfather **_**and Adoptive father**_**, Sirius, had given her. Teulu **_**carefully**_** laid it aside and felt cautiously around the trunk for the rest, but nothing more remained of her father's last gift except powdered glass, which clung to the deepest layer of debris like glittering grit. **_**She jumped as she felt strong muscled arms wrap around her waist and looked over shoulder to see Draco kneeling behind her smiling sadly at her, and lifting a hand to wipe away the tears she didn't know had fallen. "Shhh. Its alright baby I'm here, I'm here and you'll see Remus soon." Draco said comfortingly pulling his wife into his chest.  
**_

There was silence in the Hall as everyone who didn't know about Sirius being innocent tried to get their heads around not only was Teulu hysterically sobbing over his future death he was also her future or current Adoptive father, the man who had sold her parents out had adopted her, they just couldn't understand it. Finally Madam Bones broke the tense silence as Remus was eyeing everyone in the Hall especially the Ministry Officials as he held his still sobbing Cub tight to him as he held back his own tears. "Mr. Lupin maybe you could spread some light on this situation as Miss. Potter is currently too distraught to answer my questions which in itself is confusing. Why is Miss. Potter crying over the man who had sold her parents out and what did it mean by adoptive father in the book?" Before Remus could answer a quiet, dead, tear filled voice spoke making her friends and families' hearts clench as they looked at the dead look in her eyes.

"D-daddy d-didn't ...s-sell m-mum a-and d-dad o-out. T-they s-swapped at the last minute to Peter Pettigrew who you heard in the first chapter as Wormtail which was his nickname while he was at school, he sold us out and framed daddy and murdered those people before cutting off his own finger and turning into his Animagus form which is a grey garden rat, and escaping into the sewer. He lived with the Weasleys disguised as their pet rat Scabbers, before he turned back into himself in third year in the Shrieking Shack, I tried to tell Minister Fudge but Snape told him I, Ron and Hermione had been Confunded and believed him over us without testing us under Vereturserium, like the Ministry did to daddy. They just locked him up without a trial." Teulu said in between sobs still clinging onto Remus with one hand and the other buried in Sirius' fur.

Madam Bones frowned and looked at Fudge who seemed to be looking a little sheepish. "Would you be willing to show me your memories Miss. Potter of that night?" Madam Bones asked, when Teulu nodded she beckoned Teulu to come stand in front of her. Once Teulu was in front of her she took out her wand and went to explain what she was going to do before she saw Teulu shaking. "Miss. Potter?" Madam Bones asked frowning, as Teulu looked nervously at her wand before her eyes flickered to Snape. "I'm just going to use Legilimency on you to see the night you saw Mr. Black and only that night alright?" She saw that Teulu immediately relaxed and swore to herself that she would look into why she was so nervous when it came to someone doing Legilimency on her. Madam Bones pointed her wand at Teulu again before saying, _"Legilimency."  
_

Five minutes later Madam Bones lowered her wand and Teulu sank into the strong and familiar chest of her fiancé who had come up behind her and wrapped her is arms around her waist."Thank you Miss. Potter you can now return to your seat." Madam Bones nodded smiling reassuringly at her, once Teulu and Draco had returned to their seats Madam Bones stood up. "After seeing Miss. Potter's memories I hereby declare that Lord Sirius Black is innocent of all his charges at the Peter Pettigrew is alive and all Aurors are to turn their attentions to him, Lord Black will also be compensated for his twelve year stay in Azkaban, also he won't be punished for being an unregistered Animagus as he has more than paid for that. Once the reading is over I will make it official that Lord Black is free, now Lord Black you can turn back and Professor Snape you will be brought into questioning about trying to get two innocent men kissed by Dementors. Unless Mr. Black has answer to that." Madam Bones queried.

Scorpious shook his head no. "No I don't Madam Bones I only know what his role was during the war not why he did wt he did in the Shrieking Shack." Madam Bones nodded. "Thank you. Also the Adoption of Teulu Seren Potter by Lord Sirius Black and his husband Remus Lupin-Black will be made official after the readings." With that said she sat down and Sirius turned back into himself and pulled his daughter out of Draco's arms and into his own. "I'm free and now you, Remus and I can be a proper family Lu just like I promised you in the holidays." Sirius said as he kissed her head happily, as she smiled up at him. She kissed his cheek, then turned and kissed Remus on the cheek smiling more cheerfully than anyone had ever seen her. Sirius held her tighter before kissing Remus on the cheek, glad that he finally could be with his family. "Daddy we can move into the country now." Teulu said before looking over at Draco and kissing his lips, the kiss became heated as Draco deepened it happy that his fiancée wouldn't have to worry about her dad being captured anymore. They separated when Sirius and Remus cleared their throats and glared at Draco.

"You might be engaged to our daughter Draco, but you hurt her and you'll have me to deal with."Sirius growled. Draco nodded and promised he wouldn't. Teulu rolled her eyes but she still smiling that her dad was finally free and picked up the book and continued from where Draco left off.

**Teulu sat up**_** and smiled at Draco before she picked up the mirror again**_** and examined the jagged piece on which she had cut herself, seeing nothing but her own bright green eye reflected back at her. Then she placed the fragment on top of that morning's Daily Prophet, which lay unread on the bed, and attempted to stem the sudden upsurge of bitter memories, the stabs of regret and of longing the discovery of the broken mirror had occasioned, by attacking the rest of the rubbish in the trunk. It took another **_**hour, even with Draco's help t**_**o empty it completely, throw away the useless items, and sort the remainder in piles according to whether or not she would need them from now on. Her school and Quidditch robes, **

The Quidditch fanatics cheered, which included Sirius and Draco, Teulu and Remus rolled their eyes at them.

**Cauldron, parchment, quills, and most of her textbooks were piled in a corner, to be left behind. She wondered what her aunt and uncle would do with them; burn them in the dead of night, probably, as if they were the evidence of some dreadful crime. Her Muggle clothing **_**(she had gone shopping with Narcissa in disguise before her wedding at the end of sixth year to buy some new clothes),**_** Invisibility Cloak, **

"You have an Invisibility Cloak!"Zacharias Smith shouted with a look of greed and jealousy on his face.

"Yes she..." Fred

"Does and..." George

"You can't have it." They finished together.

**Potion-making kit, certain books, the photograph album Hagrid had once given her, a stack of letters, and her wand had been repacked into **_**the new **_**rucksack **_**that Draco had brought her which also had an extension charm on it, the same as Draco's rucksack**_**. In a front pocket were the Marauder's Map and the locket with the note signed R.A.B. inside it. The locket was accorded this place on honour not because it was valuable—in all usual senses it was worthless—but because of what it had cost to attain it.  
**

"What was the cost?" Sirius asked his future grandson.

"You'll find out if you want to make certain parts in the book clearer you could read parts of the fifth book as well, which I have in my pocket." Scorpious said, Sirius nodded and thanked his grandson he wanted to find out how he died to make sure he wouldn't leave his daughter or his husband this time around.

**This left a sizable stack of newspapers sitting on her desk beside her snowy owl, Hedwig: one for each of the days Teulu had spent at Privet Drive this summer. She got up off the floor, stretched, **_**she smirked as she looked back at her husband with a mischievous smile as she swished her hips as she **_**moved across to her desk, **_**she smirked as she heard Draco try to stifle a groan**_**.  
**

Teulu blushed at her future self's actions; she looked over at Draco and her blush deeper as she saw the love and lust in his eyes. Fred, George and Lee looked at Teulu with a hopeful look in their eyes.

"Lu?" Lee asked.

"Yes Lee and before you ask I know what your gonna ask and the answer to coming pranking with you, Forge and Gred is a maybe." She answered smiling when the three started cheering as the teacher's paling thinking of all the trouble the four of them get into as Teulu gets into enough trouble on her own without the other three helping her, and wondering if the school would still be standing at the end of the year.

**Hedwig made no movement as she began to flick through the newspapers, throwing them into the rubbish pile one by one. The owl as asleep, or else faking: she was angry with Teulu about the limited amount of time she was allowed out of her cage at the moment.  
**

Scorpious sighed knowing his mum would be upset when she found out about Hedwig.

**As she neared the bottom of the pile of newspapers, Teulu slowed down, searching for one particular issue that she knew had arrived shortly after she an Draco had returned to Privet Drive for the summer; she remembered that there had been a small mention on the front about the resignation of Charity Burbage, the Muggle Studies teacher at Hogwarts. At last she found it. Turning to page ten, she sank into her desk chair and **_**found**_** the article she had been looking for. **_**"Dray could you read this please?" Teulu asked looking at him pleadingly. Instead of answering Draco just stood up of the bed and walked over to his wife and picked her up bridal style and carried her to the bed where he sat down on the bed with his wife in his lap and took the paper off of her.**_

"Can no one interrupt my mum please as this would be hard to read." Scorpious asked, when everyone nodded Teulu continued to read again.

**ALBUS DUMBLEDORE REMEMBERED**

**By Elphias Doge**

**I met Albus Dumbledore at the age of eleven, on our first day at Hogwarts. Our mutual attraction was undoubtedly due to the fact that we both felt ourselves to be outsiders. I had contracted dragon pox shortly before arriving at school, and while I was no longer contagious, my pockmarked visage and greenish hue did not encourage many to approach me. For his part, Albus had arrived at Hogwarts under the burden of unwanted notoriety. Scarcely a year previously, his father, Percival, had been convicted of a savage and well-publicized attack upon three young Muggles. Albus never attempted to deny that his father (who was to die in Azkaban) had committed this crime; on the contrary, when I plucked up courage to ask him, he assured me that he knew his father to be guilty. Beyond that, Dumbledore refused to speak of the sad business, though many attempted to make him do so. Some, indeed, were disposed to praise his father's action and assumed that Albus too was a Muggle-hater.**

**They could not have been more mistaken. As anybody who knew Albus would attest, he never revealed the remotest anti-Muggle tendency. Indeed, his determined support for Muggle rights gained him many enemies in subsequent years. In a matter of months, however, Albus's own fame had begun to eclipse that of his father. By the end of his first year he would never again be known as the son of a Muggle-hater, but as nothing more or less than the most brilliant student ever seen at the school. Those of us who were privileged to be his friends benefited from his example, not to mention his help and encouragement, with which he was always generous. He confessed to me in later life that he knew even then that his greatest pleasure lay in teaching. He not only won every prize of note that the school offered, he was soon in regular correspondence with the most notable magical names of the day, including Nicolas Flamel, the celebrated alchemist; Bathilda Bagshot, the noted historian; and Adalbert Waffling, the magical theoretician. Several of his papers found their way into learned publications such as Transfiguration Today, Challenges in Charming, and the Practical Potioneer.**

**Dumbledore's future career seemed likely to be meteoric, and the only question that remained was when he would become Minister of Magic. Though it was often predicted in later years that he was on the point of taking the job, however, he never had Ministerial ambitions. Three years after we had started at Hogwarts, Albus' brother, Aberforth, arrived at school. They were not alike; Aberforth was never bookish and, unlike Albus, preferred to settle arguments by duelling rather than through reasoned discussion. However, it is quite wrong to suggest, as some have, that the brothers were not friends. They rubbed along as comfortably as two such different boys could do. In fairness to Aberforth, it must be admitted that living in Albus' shadow cannot have been an altogether comfortable experience. Being continually outshone was an occupational hazard of being his friend and cannot have been any more pleasurable as a brother.**

**When Albus and I left Hogwarts we intended to take the then-traditional tour of the world together, visiting and observing foreign wizards, before pursuing our separate careers. However, tragedy intervened. On the very eve of our trip, Albus' mother, Kendra, died, leaving Albus the head, and sole breadwinner, of the family. I postponed my departure long enough to pay my respects at Kendra's funeral, then left for what was now to be a solitary journey. With a younger brother and sister to care for, and little gold left to them, there could no longer be any question of Albus accompanying me.**

**That was the period of our lives when we had least contact. I wrote to Albus, describing, perhaps insensitively, the wonders of my journey, from narrow escapes from chimeras in Greece to the experiments of Egyptian alchemists. His letters told me little of his day-to-day life, which I guessed to be frustratingly dull for such a brilliant wizard. Immersed in my own experiences, it was with horror that I heard, toward the end of my year's travels, that yet another tragedy had struck the Dumbledore's: the death of his sister, Arianna. Though Arianna had been in poor health for a long time, the blow, coming so soon after the loss of their mother, had a profound effect on both of her brothers.**

**All those closest to Albus-and I count myself one of that lucky number-agree that Arianna's death, and Albus's feeling of personal responsibility for it (though of course, he was guiltless), left their mark upon him forevermore. I returned home to find a young man who had experienced a much older person's suffering. Albus was more reserved than before, and much less light-hearted. To add to his misery, the loss of Arianna had led, not to a renewed closeness between Albus and Aberforth, but to an estrangement. (In time this would lift-in later years they re-established, if not a close relationship, then certainly a cordial one.) However, he rarely spoke of his parents or of Arianna from then on, and his friends learned not to mention them. Other quills will describe the triumphs of the following years. Dumbledore's innumerable contributions to the state of Wizarding knowledge, including his discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, will benefit generations to come, as will the wisdom he displayed in the many judgments he made while Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. They say, still, that no Wizarding duel ever matched that between Dumbledore and Grindelwald in 1945. **

**Those who witnessed it have written of the terror and the awe they felt as they watched these two extraordinary wizards do battle. Dumbledore's triumph, and its consequences for the Wizarding world, is considered a turning point in magical history to match the introduction of the International Statute of Secrecy or the downfall of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Albus Dumbledore was never proud or vain; he could find something to value in anyone, however apparently insignificant or wretched, and I believe that his early losses endowed him with great humanity and sympathy. I shall miss his friendship more than I can say, but my loss is as nothing compared to the Wizarding worlds. That he was the most inspiring and the best loved of all Hogwarts headmasters cannot be in question. He died as he lived, working always for the greater good and, to his last hour, as willing to stretch out a hand to a small boy with dragon pox as he was on the day that I met him. **

Everyone was silent after that was read some had tears running down their faces.

_**Draco finished reading, and placed a kiss on his wife's temple **__**as she**_** continued to gaze at the picture accompanying the obituary. Dumbledore was wearing his familiar, kindly smile, but as he peered over the top of his half-moon spectacles, he gave the impression, even in newsprint, of betraying Teulu, whose sadness mingled with a sense of humiliation,. She had thought he knew Dumbledore quite well, but ever since reading this obituary she had been forced to recognize that she had barely known him at all. Never one had she imagined Dumbledore's childhood or youth; it was as though he had sprung into being as Teulu had known him, venerable and silver-haired and old. The idea of a teenage Dumbledore was simply odd, like trying to imagine a stupid Hermione or a friendly Blast-Ended Skrewt.**

Nearly everyone laughed at that as they just couldn't imagine it. Draco shook his head at his fiancée's future thoughts as he kissed her cheek.

**She had never thought to ask Dumbledore about his past. No doubt it would have felt strange, impertinent even, but after all, it had been common knowledge that Dumbledore had taken part in that legendary duel with Grindelwald, and Teulu had not thought to ask Dumbledore what that had been like, nor about any of his other famous achievements. No, they had always discussed Teulu, Teulu's past, Teulu's future, Teulu's plans ... and it seemed to Teulu now, despite the fact that her future was so dangerous and so uncertain, that she had missed irreplaceable opportunities when she had failed to ask Dumbledore more about himself, even though the only personal question she had ever asked her headmaster was also the only one she suspected that Dumbledore had not answered honestly:**

"**What do you see when you look in the mirror?"**

"**I? I see myself holding a pair of thick, woollen socks."**

**After several minutes' thought, Teulu **_**took the paper off of Draco**_** and tore the obituary out of the Prophet, folded it carefully, and tucked it inside the first volume of Practical Defensive Magic and Its Use against the Dark Arts. Then she threw the rest of the newspaper into the rubbish pile and looked around the room. It was much tidier. The only things left out of place were today's Daily Prophet, still lying at the end of the bed, and on top of it, the piece of broken mirror. **_**Draco seeing where she was looking**_** slid the fragment of mirror off today's Daily Prophet, and unfolded the newspaper. They had merely glanced at the headline when she had taken the rolled-up paper from the delivery owl early that morning and thrown it aside, after nothing that it said nothing about Voldemort**_**. Teulu and Draco**_** were sure that the Ministry was leaning on the Prophet to suppress news about Voldemort. It was only now, therefore, that **_**they**_** saw what they had missed. Across the bottom half of the front page a smaller headline was set over a picture of Dumbledore striding along looking harried:**

**DUMBLEDORE—THE TRUTH AT LAST?**

**Coming next week, the shocking story of the flawed genius considered by many to be the greatest wizard of his generation. Stripping away the popular image of serene, silver-bearded wisdom, Rita Skeeter reveals the disturbed childhood, the lawless youth, the lifelong feuds, and the guilty secrets that Dumbledore carried to his grave. WHY was the man tipped to be Minister of Magic content to remain a mere headmaster? WHAT was the real purpose of the secret organization known as the Order of the Phoenix? HOW did Dumbledore really meet his end?**

**The answers to these and many more questions are explored in the explosive new biography, The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore, by Rita Skeeter, exclusively interviewed by Betty Braithwaite, page 13, inside.**

**Teulu ripped open the paper and found page thirteen. The article was topped with a picture showing another familiar face: a woman wearing jewelled glasses with elaborately curled blonde hair, her teeth bared in what was clearly supposed to be a winning smile, wiggling her fingers up at her. Doing her best to ignore this nauseating image, Teulu read on. In person, Rita Skeeter is much warmer and softer than her famously ferocious quill-portraits might suggest. Greeting me in the hallway of her cosy home, she leads me straight into the kitchen for a cup of tea, a slice of pound cake and, it goes without saying, a steaming vat of freshest gossip.**

"**Well, of course, Dumbledore is a biographer's dream," says Skeeter. "Such a long, full life. I'm sure my book will be the first of very, very many." Skeeter was certainly quick off the mark. Her nine-hundred-page book was completed a mere four weeks after Dumbledore's mysterious death in June. I ask her how she managed this superfast feat.**

"**Oh, when you've been a journalist as long as I have, working to a deadline is second nature. I knew that the Wizarding world as clamouring for the full story and I wanted to be the first to meet that need. I mentioned the recent, widely publicized remarks of Elphias Doge, Special Advisor to the Wizengamot and longstanding friend of Albus Dumbledore's, that "Skeeter's book contains less fact than a Chocolate frog card."**

**Skeeter throws back her head and laughs.**

"**Darling Dodgy! I remember interviewing him a few years back about Merpeople rights, bless him.** **Completely gaga, seemed to think we were sitting at the bottom of Lake Windermere, kept telling me to watch out for trout."**

"I am not 'completely gaga' as she says and I would think that I would of called her an Old trout as I call her that now." Elphias wheezed.

**And yet Elphias Doge's accusations of inaccuracy have been echoed in many places. Does Skeeter really feel that four short weeks have been enough to gain a full picture of Dumbledore's long and extraordinary life?**

"**Oh, my dear," beams Skeeter, rapping me affectionately across the knuckles, "you know as well as I do how much information can be generated by a fat bag of Galleons, a refusal to hear the word 'no,' and a nice sharp Quick-Quotes Quill! People were queuing to dish the dirt on Dumbledore anyway. Not everyone thought he was so wonderful, you know—he trod on an awful lot of important toes. But old Dodgy Doge can get off his high hippogriff, because I've had access to a source most journalists would swap their wands for, one who has never spoken in public before and who was close to Dumbledore during the most turbulent and disturbing phase of his youth."**

**The advance publicity of Skeeter's biography has certainly suggested that there will be shocks in store for those who believe Dumbledore to have led a blameless life. What were the biggest surprises she uncovered, I ask?**

"**Now, come off it, Betty, I'm not giving away all the highlights before anybody's bought the book!" laughs Skeeter. "But I can promise that anybody who still thinks Dumbledore was white as his beard is in for a rude awakening! Let's just say that nobody hearing him rage against You-Know-Who would have dreamed that he dabbled in the Dark Arts himself in his youth! And for a wizard who spent his later years pleading for tolerance, he wasn't exactly broad-minded when he was younger! Yes, Albus Dumbledore had an extremely murky past, not to mention that very fishy family, which he worked so hard to keep, hushed up."**

**I ask whether Skeeter is referring to Dumbledore's brother, Aberforth, whose conviction by the** **Wizengamot for misuse of magic caused a minor scandal fifteen years ago.**

"**Oh, Aberforth is just the tip of the dung heap." laughs Skeeter. "No, no, I'm talking about much worse than a brother with a fondness for fiddling about with goats, worse even than the Muggle maiming father—Dumbledore couldn't keep either of them quiet anyway, they were both charged by the Wizengamot. No, it's the mother and the sister that intrigued me, and a little digging uncovered a positive nest of nastiness—but, as I say, you'll have to wait for chapters nine to twelve for full details. All I can say now is, it's no wonder Dumbledore never talked about how his nose got broken."**

**Family skeletons notwithstanding, does Skeeter deny the brilliance that led to Dumbledore's many magical discoveries?**

"**He had brains," she concedes, "although many now question whether he could really take full credit for all of his supposed achievements. As I reveal in chapter sixteen, Ivor Dillonsby claims he had already discovered eight uses of dragon's blood when Dumbledore 'borrowed' his papers."**

**But the importance of some of Dumbledore's achievements cannot, I venture, be denied. What of his famous defeat of Grindelwald?**

"**Oh, now, I'm glad you mentioned Grindelwald," says Skeeter with a tantalizing smile. "I'm afraid those who go dewy eyed over Dumbledore's spectacular victory must brace themselves for a bombshell—or perhaps a Dungbomb. Very dirty business indeed. All I'll say is, don't be so sure that there really was the spectacular duel of legend. After they've read my book, people may be forced to conclude that Grindelwald simply conjured a white handkerchief from the end of his wand and came quietly!"**

**Skeeter refuses to give any more away on this intriguing subject, so we turn instead to the relationship that will undoubtedly fascinate her readers more than any other.**

"**Oh yes," says Skeeter, nodding briskly, "I devote an entire chapter to the whole Potter-Dumbledore relationship. It's been called unhealthy, even sinister. Again, your readers will have to buy my book for the whole story, but there is no questions that Dumbledore took an unnatural interest in Potter from the word go. Whether that was really in the girls' best interests—well, we'll see. It's certainly an open secret that Potter has had a most troubled adolescence."**

**I ask whether Skeeter is still in touch with Teulu Potter, whom she so famously interviewed last year: a breakthrough piece in which Potter spoke exclusively of her conviction that You-Know-Who had returned.**

"**Oh, yes, we've developed a close bond," says Skeeter. "Poor Potter has few real friends, and we met at one of the most testing moments of her life—the Triwizard Tournament. I am probably one of the only people alive who can say that they know the real Teulu Potter."**

"Yea right you know nothing about Lu!" Neville shouted.

**Which leads us neatly to the many rumours still circulating about Dumbledore's final hours? Does Skeeter believe that Potter was there when Dumbledore died?**

"**Well, I don't want to say too much—it's all in the book—but the eyewitnesses inside Hogwarts castle saw Potter running away from the scene moments after Dumbledore fell, jumped, or was pushed. Potter later gave evidence against Severus Snape, a man against whom she has a notorious grudge. Is everything as it seems? That is for the Wizarding community to decide—once they've read my book."**

Nearly everyone turned and glared at Snape who had apparently killed Dumbledore in the future, but they didn't do anything as they remembered what Scorpious had said when he first arrived.

**On that intriguing note, I take my leave. There can be no doubt that Skeeter has quilled an instant bestseller, Dumbledore's legions of admirers, meanwhile, may well be trembling at what is soon to emerge about their hero. Teulu reached the bottom of the article, but continued to stare blankly at the page. Revulsion and fury rose in her like vomit; she balled up the newspaper and threw it, with all her force, at the wall, where it joined the rest of the rubbish heaped around her overflowing bin. **_**She got off of Draco's lap and **_**began to stride blindly around the room, opening empty drawers and picking up books only to replace them on the same piles, barely conscious of what she was doing, as random phrases from Rita's article echoed in her head: An entire chapter to the whole Potter-Dumbledore relationship ... It's been called unhealthy, even sinister ... He dabbled in the Dark Arts himself in his youth ... I've had access to a source most journalists would swap their wands for ...**

"**Lies!" Teulu bellowed, and though the window she saw the next-door neighbour, who had paused to restart his lawn mower, looks up nervously.**

"That poor Muggle." Fred and George sighed, but quickly mimed zipping their mouths shut as Teulu glared at them, shocking Molly and the teachers as they could never get the twins to shut up.

_**"Babe calm down. Okay I know it's all lies but this is Rita Skeeter, and getting all worked up is not good for you or the baby." Draco said as he wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder as he kissed her neck. Teulu sighed as all the tension drained out of her as she leaned more into Draco's embrace. Once she had calmed down, Draco kissed and nipped her neck leaving a bright purple love bite, before leading her to the bed to sit down. As they**_** sat down hard on the bed the broken bit of mirror danced away from her; she picked it up and turned it over in her fingers, thinking, thinking of Dumbledore and the lies with which Rita Skeeter was defaming him...**

**A flash of brightest blue. Teulu **_**and Draco**_** froze, her cut finger slipping on the jagged edge of the mirror again, **_**as Draco tightened his hold on her waist.**_** She had imagined it, she must have done. **_**She looked over at Draco who nodded showing he had seen it too before**_** she glanced over her shoulder, but the wall was a sickly peach colour of Aunt Petunia's choosing: There was nothing blue there for the mirror to reflect. She peered into the mirror fragment again, and saw nothing but her own bright green eyes **_**and Draco's bright mercury eyes**_** looking back at her. She had imagined it, there was no other explanation; _but how could she of imagined it when Draco had seen the same thing as her, there is no way that they could of imagined the same thing, no matter that they are Soul Mates and have taken the deep marital bond they still can't imagine the same thing. Whatever it was, Teulu was certain that it wasn't because she was thinking of Skeeter defaming Dumbledore._**

"Chapter." Teulu said quietly as everyone was absorbing the information.


	4. Chapter 4: The Dursley's Departing

{A/N: All of the words in _**bold italics **_are what I have added or changed. All the words in just **bold **are J.K Rowling's work.

* * *

Chapter Four:

Teulu set the book down on the table and looked around the hall. "Who's going to read..." But before she could continue Draco had picked up the book and kissed her cheek before turning to chapter three. Teulu shrugged and settled back against Sirius who smiled and wrapped his arms around her, she held out her left hand for Remus to hold who was more than happy to hold. She sent Draco a look saying when he finished reading she'll snuggle up to him, Draco smiled and cleared his throat and started reading.

**"Chapter 3: The Dursley's Departing." **Draco read.

"This should be fun," Hermione said sarcastically.

**The sound of the front door slamming echoed up the stairs and a voice yelled: "Oi! You!" ****_Teulu tightened her hand on Draco's arm that was around her waist as he his hand twitched towards his wand. "Dray no there not worth it."_**

"I don't blame your future self Draco." Sirius said in a tight voice.

**Sixteen years of being addressed thus left Teulu in no doubt who her uncle was calling; nevertheless, she did not immediately respond. She was still gazing at the mirror fragment in which, for a split second, she had thought he saw Dumbledore's eye. It was not until her uncle bellowed "GIRL!"**

"I really, really hate him." Fred and George said darkly shocking the hall as they had never heard them talk like that. "And considering after what we saw when we rescued Lu in the summer before her second year that is hard to do." Ron continued with an equally dark look on his face.

"What do you mean sons?" Arthur asked his three younger sons.

"We told mum but she didn't believe us, thought we were just making it up. But we weren't they had locked her in her room, from the outside so she couldn't get out only if they let her out. There was a cat flap on the door which Lu said was to push tiny portions of food through and there were bars on her window." Fred said his hands clenching into fists as he thought of what his little sister looked like.

"She was also covered in cuts and bruises and her hand was broken." George said. Arthur whipped his head around to glare at his wife, shocking everyone in the hall.

"How could you not of believed them it was obvious as I was the one to heal her hand and which Ron and the twins had talked her into coming to me as she was scared of ME. And don't think of apologising Lu I understand I recognised the signs, but I didn't want to pressure you as I saw how scared you were around me. How could you ignore that Molly?" Arthur demanded.

"I- I thought they were lying to get out of it. I'm so sorry boys, Lu." Molly said. Before they could answer Draco had carried on reading with a tight look on his face Teulu grabbed his hand and rubbed his knuckles to calm him as he was gripping the book so tightly his knuckles turned white. "Daddy can't breathe." Teulu gasped as Sirius had tightened his arms around her as the Weasleys were talking, Remus realising he had also tightened his hand loosened it slightly and kissed her hand. "Sorry Pup." Sirius said kissing her head.

**...that Teulu got slowly ****_off Draco's lap and held her hand out to him to pull him up. Once on his feet Draco wrapped his arm tight around her waist and pulled her flush against him as they_**** headed for the bedroom door, pausing to add the piece of broken mirror to the rucksack filled with things she would be taking with her. "You took your time!" roared Vernon Dursley when Teulu ****_and Draco (who sneered at him and pulled her close to him so he was slightly in front of her)_**** appeared at the top of the stairs. "Get down here, I want a word!"**

"How about a please!" Angelina shouted she hated that her little sister was treated like this maybe worse and she didn't even know.

**Teulu ****_and Draco_**** strolled downstairs, ****_one holding onto the back of Draco's shirt while the other was deep in her jean pocket._**** When ****_they_**** reached the living room, ****_they_**** found all three Dursley's. They were dressed for travelling: Uncle Vernon in a fawn zip-up jacket, Aunt Petunia in a neat, salmon-coloured coat and Dudley, Teulu's large, blond, muscular cousin, in his leather jacket. **

"**Yes?" asked Teulu.**

"**Sit Down!" said Uncle Vernon. Teulu raised her eyebrows ****_and Draco glared at him_****. "Please!"**

"Did it kill him?" Ron asked.

"RONALD!" Molly shouted, Ron just shrugged and turned back to the book.

… **added Uncle Vernon, wincing slightly as though the word was sharp in his throat.**

"Drama queen," said Katie.

**_Draco_**** sat ****_and pulled Teulu onto his lap_****. She thought she knew what was coming. Her uncle began to pace up and down, Aunt Petunia and Dudley following his movements with anxious expressions. Finally, his large, purple face crumpled with concentration, Uncle Vernon stopped in front of Teulu and spoke.**

"**I have changed my mind..." he said. **

"**What a surprise," said Teulu ****_rolling her eyes and stifling a smile as she heard Draco's quiet sniggering_****.**

" Petunia won't like that." Sirius said smiling.

"**Don't you take that tone..." began Aunt Petunia in a shrill voice, but Vernon Dursley waved her down.**

"Told you," said Sirius.

"No one was contradicting you," Remus said rolling his eyes.

"**It's all a lot of claptrap..." said Uncle Vernon, glaring at Teulu with piggy little eyes. "I've decided I don't believe a word of it. We're staying put, we're not going anywhere..."**

"Piggy little eyes?" questioned Blaise. "That's too cute a word to be used on that fat oaf."

Everyone who knew Blaise burst out laughing.

"Did you just say cute Blaise?" asked Teulu.

That sent the aforementioned people into more hysterics. Blaise glared at Teulu while his cheeks tinted pink.

**Teulu looked up at her uncle and felt a mixture of exasperation and amusement.**

**Vernon Dursley had been changing his mind every twenty-four hours for the past four weeks, packing and unpacking and repacking the car with every change of heart. Teulu's ****_and also Draco's_**** favourite moment had been the one when Uncle Vernon, unaware that Dudley had added his dumb-bells to his case since the last time it had been unpacked, had attempted to hoist it back into the boot and collapse with roars of pain and much swearing.**

Everyone was laughing again at Vernon hurting himself.

"Good the fat arse deserved it." Charlie snarled.

"CHARLES WEASLEY!" Molly shouted.

"No mum Lu is a little to me and the rest of us and we don't like how she was treated and they are going to get it." Charlie said with Bill, Fred, George, Ron, surprising everyone Percy nodded in agreement and nearly all of the males in the D.A. and Blaise nodded in agreement.

"**According to you..." Vernon Dursley said now, resuming his pacing up and down the living room, "we - Petunia, Dudley and I - are in danger. From -"**

"**From some of my lot, right?" said Teulu.**

"What?" Professor Sprout asked, her cheeks going red in anger.

"It means witches and wizards." Teulu shrugged.

"**Well, I don't believe it," repeated Uncle Vernon, coming to a halt in front of Teulu again. "I was awake half the night thinking it all over, and I believe it's a plot to get the house..."**

"I don't want any part of that stupid house, ever since I was little I've been counting down the years till I leave I thought it was eighteen before I found out that I'm a witch and now I've been counting down till I turn seventeen." Teulu said.

"And now you'll never have to go back there." Sirius and Remus said.

"**The house?" repeated Teulu. "What house?"**

"**This house!" shrieked Uncle Vernon; the vein in his forehead was starting to pulse. "Our house! House prices are sky-rocketing round here! You want us out the way and then you're going to do a bit of hocus-pocus and before we know it the deeds will be in your name and –"**

"Hocus-pocus," Lee laughed. "Is he stupid?"

"Do you really need an answer to that question Lee?" Teulu asked. Lee laughed and shook his head.

"**Are you out of your mind?" demanded Teulu. "A plot to get this house? Are you as stupid as you look?"**

"GO LU!" the D.A., Draco and the Slytherins at the Gryffindor table (Blaise, Daphne, Astoria and Millicent) cheered.

"**Don't you dare!" squealed Aunt Petunia, but again, Vernon waved her down: slights on his personal appearance were, it seemed, as nothing as the danger he had spotted. **

"**Just in case you've forgotten," said Teulu, "I've already got a house, my godfather who adopted me left me one. So why would I want this one? All the happy memories?"**

**There was silence. Teulu thought she had rather impressed his uncle with her argument.**

"I'm glad I gave you your own house but now we never have to go back to the retched house." Sirius said into her hair.

"**You claim," said Uncle Vernon, starting to pace yet again, "that this Lord Thing..."**

"**Voldemort," said Teulu impatiently, "and we've been through this a hundred times already. This isn't a claim, it's a fact, and Dumbledore told you last year, and Kingsley and Mr. Weasley."**

**Vernon Dursley hunched his shoulders angrily, and Teulu guessed that her uncle was attempting to ward off recollections of the unannounced visit a few days ago into Teulu's summer holidays, of two fully grown wizards. The arrival on the doorstep of Kingsley Shacklebolt and Arthur Weasley had come as a most unpleasant shock to the Dursley's. Teulu had to admit, however, that as Mr. Weasley had once demolished half of the living room, his reappearance could not expect to delight Uncle Vernon.**

Everyone laughed at hearing Arthur Weasley demolish the Dursleys living room which they had to agree they more than deserved.

"**Kingsley and Mr. Weasley explained it was all as well," Teulu pressed on remorselessly. "Once I'm Seventeen, the protective charm that keeps me safe will break, and that exposes you as well as me. The Order is sure that Voldemort will target you, whether to torture you to try and find out where I am, or because he thinks by holding you hostage I'd come and try to rescue you."**

"Would you try to save them?" Hannah Abbott asked.

Teulu nodded. "Even though they hate me and I hate them they don't deserve to be murdered or tortured." She said shocking everyone in the hall at how she could still be so kind hearted towards them when they cared nothing for her.

"This is why I love you." Draco said kissing Teulu on the lips in a chaste kiss making her blush. Once Draco pulled back and caught sight of the blush on her cheeks, he smirked and carried on reading.

**Uncle Vernon's and Teulu's eyes met. Teulu was sure that in that instant they were both wondering the same thing. Then Uncle Vernon walked on and Teulu resumed: "You've got to go into hiding and the Order wants to help. You're being offered serious protection, the best there is."**

**Uncle Vernon said nothing, but continued to pace up and down. Outside, the sun hung low over the privet hedges. The next-door neighbour's lawnmower stalled again.**

"I wonder how long it is till he asks about if there is a Ministry?" Hermione wondered.

"**I thought there was a Ministry of Magic?" asked Vernon Dursley abruptly.**

The room burst into a cry of laughter once more.

"**There is," said Teulu ****_and Draco_**** surprised.**

"**Well, then, why can't they protect us? It seems to me that, as innocent victims, guilty of nothing more than harbouring a marked man, we ought to qualify for government protection!"**

**Teulu laughed; she could not help herself. It was so very typical of her uncle to put his hopes in the establishment, even within this world that he despised and mistrusted.**

"Oh no Lu is like Mione." Ron groaned only to yelp as he was hit by two stinging jinxes and two fierce glares off of Hermione and Teulu. Ron held up his hands to surrender, "I'm sorry." He apologised but Hermione and Teulu just gave him looks of loathing.

**Uncle Vernon strode back to the fireplace and back breathing so strongly that his great black moustache rippled his face still purple with concentration.**

**"All right," he said. Stopping in front of Teulu yet again. "All right, let's say for the sake of argument we accept this protection. I still don't see why we can't have that Kingsley bloke." **

**Teulu managed not to roll her eyes, but with difficulty, ****_though Draco had no problem and just rolled his eyes with a very bored sigh, Teulu turned to look at him and kissed his cheek she was glad he was down here with her, though he could've stayed in her room, though she didn't think she would've been able to keep her temper if Draco was in here, with him keep on sighing she had to hold in her laughter and her Aunts haulty face as she looked at him_****. This question had also been addressed half a dozen times. "As I've told you," she said through gritted teeth, "Kingsley is protecting the Mug - I mean, your Prime Minister."**

**"Exactly - he's the best!" said Uncle Vernon, pointing at the blank television screen. **

"I don't know whether to be repulsed or complimented." Kingsley wondered, though by the look on his face he was repulsed that Vernon thought that of him which just made most people in the hall laugh.

**The Dursley's had spotted Kingsley on the news, walking along the Muggle Prime Minister as he visited a hospital. This, and the fact that Kingsley had mastered the knack of dressing like a Muggle, not to mention a certain reassuring something in his slow, deep voice, had caused the Dursley's to take to Kingsley in a way that they had certainly not done with any other wizard, although it was true that they had never seen him with earring in.**

**"Well, he's taken," said Teulu. "But Hestia Jones and Dedalus Diggle are more than up to the job..."**

"Though now I'm regretting my future self's decision." Hestia said.

**"If we'd even seen CVs…" began Uncle Vernon, but Teulu lost patience. Getting to her feet, she advanced on her uncle, not pointing at the TV set herself****_, Draco got up and held her hand trying to keep her from losing too much of her temper._**

"I don't blame you, when Lu loses her temper you don't want to be on the end of it like Ron and Hermione were in the summer." Ginny said shuddering, everyone who had seen her temper shuddered which included Scorpious.

"How bad is it when Lu loses her temper?" Fleur asked (A/N: I can't do French accents so let's pretend shall we).

"If it is anything like her mothers, you don't want to be within a ten mile radius as Lily used to shout at the littlest thing, but James was worse it took a lot to get him mad but when you did you would know about it." Sirius said shuddering remembering his sixth year, Remus grabbed his hand and squeezed telling him without words that he was forgiven which Sirius smiled at.

"I think its a mix of both of them then, but Lu doesn't really shout at little things but when she's mad she's really mad and she's really loud." Neville said, Lu glared at her so called friends and huffed crossing her arms over chest.

"Some friends you lot are." She turned to Draco and glared at him when she heard him sniggering. "And you can stop laughing too." She huffed. Draco just laughed and kissed her cheek before carrying on with the book.

**"These accidents aren't accidents - the crashed and explosions and derailments and whatever else has happened since we last watched the news. People are disappearing and dying and he's behind it - Voldemort. I've told you this over and over again, he kills Muggles for fun. Even the fogs - they're caused by Dementors, and if you can't remember what they are, ask your son!"**

"LIAR!" Umbridge shrieked.

"I'm not lying the Dementors attacked me and my cousin when we were fighting." Teulu snarled sounding like an angry wolf.

**Dudley's hands jerked upward to tower his mouth. With his parents' and Teulu's eyes upon him, he slowly lowered them again and asked, "There are... more of them?"**

**"More?" laughed Teulu. "More than the two that attacked us, you mean? Of course there are hundreds, maybe thousands by this time, seeing as they feed off fear and despair."**

**"All right, all right," blustered Vernon Dursley. "You've made your point..."**

**"I hope so," said Teulu, "because once I'm seventeen, all of them - Death Eaters, Dementors, maybe even Inferi, which means dead bodies enchanted by a Dark wizard - will be able to find you and will certainly attack you. And if you remember the last time you tried to outrun wizards, I think you'll agree you need help."**

"How the hell do you know about Inferi?" Sirius asked fearfully.

"I don't know." Teulu shrugged.

"You got attacked by them in your Sixth year mum when you were on a mission with Dumbledore, you can read more about it later if you want?" Scorpious asked the hall at large.

"I think that would be best Mr. Black." McGonagall said looking at her favourite student concerned.

"You are going to give me grey hairs Pup." Sirius groaned.

"What like that one there?" Lu asked innocently turning in his lap to point at a random hair on his head.

"WHAT?" Sirius yelped and conjured a mirror to look at the hairs on top of his head frantically making everyone burst out laughing. When Sirius saw there was no grey hair he turned and glared at his laughing daughter. "Right you little monster." Sirius said and started to tickle her mercilessly.

"D-dad st-stop." Teulu gasped, but Sirius just carried on tickling her. "Ch-Charlie h-help."

"Coming Lu-Lu-bells." Charlie said and pulled her out of her father's arms and returned to his seat with seating her in between himself and Bill, where she stuck her tongue out at her pouting dad.

**There was a brief silence in which the distant echo of Hagrid smashing down a wooden front door seemed to reverberate through the intervening years. Aunt Petunia was looking at Uncle Vernon; Dudley was staring at Teulu. Finally Uncle Vernon blurted out, "But what about my work? What about Dudley's school? I don't suppose those things matter to a bunch of lay about wizards."**

**"Don't you understand?" shouted Teulu. "They will torture and kill you like they did my parents!"**

There was a minute of silence for James and Lily and some had tears running down their faces including Lu who had her head buried in Charlie's arms.

**"Dad," said Dudley in a loud voice, "Dad, I'm going with these Order people."**

"Finally someone in that family makes some sense." Alicia cheered.

**"Dudley," said Teulu, "for the first time in your life, you're talking sense." She knew the battle was won. If Dudley was frightened enough to accept the Order's help, his parents would accompany him. There could be no question of being separated from their Duddykins. Teulu glanced at the carriage clock on the mantelpiece.**

The students laughed at the ridiculous nickname.

**"They'll be here in about five minutes," she said, and when none of the Dursley's replied, she left the room. The prospect of parting - probably forever - from her aunt, uncle, and cousin was one that she was able to contemplate quite cheerfully but there was nevertheless certain awkwardness in the air. What did you say to one another at the end of sixteen years' solid dislike?**

"You say good riddance." said Ernie pompously. Teulu just rolled her eyes at him.

**Back in her bedroom, Teulu fiddled aimlessly with her rucksack****_, but stopped when Draco placed his hands over hers and gave her a look and pulled her hands away and kissed her palms. Teulu smiled and kissed his cheek before pulling away from him and going over to Hedwig_****_and_**** poked a couple of owl nuts through the bars of Hedwig's cage. They fell with dull thuds to the bottom where she ignored them.**

**"We're leaving soon, really soon," Teulu told her. "And then you'll be able to fly again."**

"You know she acts just like you do when you're in a mad mood." Seamus said.

"That's why I love her." Teulu said brightly.

**The doorbell rang. Teulu hesitated, and then ****_grabbed Draco's hand and _****headed back out of her room and downstairs. It was too much to expect Hestia and Dedalus to cope with the Dursley's on their own.**

**"Teulu Potter!" squeaked an excited voice, the moment Teulu had opened the door; a small man in a mauve top hat that was sweeping him a deep bow, ****_ignoring Draco's glare as he knew how his wife was when people just saw her for her scar_****. "An honour as ever!" **

Teulu smiled knowing that the people who actually cared about her wouldn't treat her like that.

**"Thanks, Dedalus," said Teulu, bestowing a small and embarrassed smile upon the dark haired Hestia. "It's really good of you to do this... They're through here, my aunt and uncle and cousin..."**

**"Good day to you, Teulu Potter's relatives!"**

Teulu winced. "They are not going to like that." Sirius, Remus and Draco turned and glared at Dedalus who looked at then apologetically for his future actions.

… **said Dedalus happily striding into the living room. The Dursley's did not look at all happy to be addressed thus; Teulu half expected another change of mind. Dudley shrank neared to his mother at the sight of the witch and wizard.**

**"I see you are packed and ready. Excellent! The plan, as Teulu has told you, is a simple one," said Dedalus, pulling an immense pocket watch out of his waistcoat and examining it. "We shall be leaving before Teulu ****_and Mr. Mal I mean Mr. Black does_****. Due to the danger of using magic in your house, Teulu being still underage it could provide the Ministry with an excuse to arrest her - we shall be driving, say, ten miles or so before Disapperating to the safe location we have picked out for you. You know how to drive, I take it?" He asked Uncle Vernon politely. **

**"Know how to? Of course I ruddy well know how to drive!" spluttered Uncle Vernon.**

Everyone was laughing again.

**"Very clever of you, sir, very clever. I personally would be utterly bamboozled by all those buttons and knobs," said Dedalus. He was clearly under the impression that he was flattering Vernon Dursley, who was visibly losing confidence in the plan with every word Dedalus spoke.**

**"Can't even drive," he muttered under his breath, his moustache rippling indignantly, but fortunately neither Dedalus nor Hestia seemed to hear him.**

**"You, Teulu," Dedalus continued, "will wait here for your guard. There has been a little change in the arrangements..."**

**"What d'you mean?" said ****_Draco_**** at once, ****_holding Teulu tight to his side which no one noticed but Teulu as she saw the concealed fear in his eyes as she was the only one who could read him like a book_****. "I thought Mad-Eye was going to come and take ****_Lu _**** by Side Along-Apparition?"**

**"Can't do it," said Hestia tersely, "Mad-Eye will explain."**

**The Dursley's, who had listened to all of this with looks of utter incomprehension on their faces, jumped as a loud voice screeched, "Hurry up!" Teulu looked all around the room before realizing the voice had issued from Dedalus's pocket watch.**

**"Quite right, were operating to a very tight schedule," said Dedalus nodding at his watch and tucking it back into his waist coat. "We are attempting to time your departure from the house with your family's Disapparation, Teulu thus the charm breaks the moment you all head for safety." He turned to the Dursley's, "Well, are we all packed and ready to go?"**

**None of them answered him. Uncle Vernon was still staring appalled at the bulge in Dedalus's waistcoat pocket.**

**"Perhaps we should wait outside in the hall, Dedalus," murmured Hestia. She clearly felt that it would be tactless for them to remain the room while Teulu and the Dursley's exchanged loving, possibly tearful farewells.**

"Not bloody likely." Teulu said, only to be reprimanded for her language.

**"There's no need," Teulu muttered, but Uncle Vernon made any further explanation unnecessary by saying loudly, "Well, this is good-bye then girl."**

**He swung his right arm upward to shake Teulu's hand, but at the last moment seemed unable to face it, and merely closed his fist and began swinging it backward and forward like a metronome. ****_"She has a name you know, it wouldn't kill you to use it." Draco snarled clenching and unclenching his fists._**

"I don't know how I'm keeping my temper." Draco sighed.

"Neither do we." Blaise said, "In fourth year when Trevor Davis was talking about having his way with Lu in fourth year in the courtyard you put him in the hospital wing though I don't blame you I would of too if these two didn't hold me back." Blaise continued and turned to glare at the three Slytherin girls.

**"Ready, Duddy?" asked Petunia, fussily checking the clasp of her handbag so as to avoid looking at Teulu altogether. Dudley did not answer but stood there with his mouth slightly ajar, reminding Teulu a little of the giant, Grawp. **

**"When have you ever met a giant Miss. Potter?" McGonagall asked her lips pinched into a thing line. Teulu stuttered before giving up and turning to Draco with a look to continue the book now.**

**"Come along, then," said Uncle Vernon. He had already reached the living room door when Dudley mumbled, "I don't understand."**

"What doesn't the whale understand now?" Ron cried in frustration.

**"What don't you understand, Popkin?" asked Petunia looking up at her son. Dudley raised a large, ham like hand to point at Teulu. "Why isn't she coming with us?"**

"Did...did Dudley just asking why I'm not coming with him?" Teulu asked stunned.

**Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia froze when they stood staring at Dudley as though he had just expressed a desire to become a ballerina. **

**"What?" said Uncle Vernon loudly.**

**"Why isn't she coming too?" asked Dudley. **

**"Well, she doesn't want to," said Uncle Vernon, turning to glare at Teulu and adding, "You don't want to, do you?"**

**"Not in the slightest," said Teulu. **

**"There you are," Uncle Vernon told Dudley. "Now come on we're off."**

**He marched out of the room. They heard the front door open, but Dudley did not move and after a few faltering steps Aunt Petunia stopped too.**

**"What now?" barked Uncle Vernon, reappearing in the doorway. It seemed that Dudley was struggling with concepts too difficult to put into words. After several moments of apparently painful internal struggle he said, **

**"But where's she going to go?" Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon looked at each other. It was clear that Dudley was frightening them. Hestia Jones broke the silence.**

Teulu had tears running down her face as she looked at the book in shock. "Someone in that house actually cares about me." She whispered, but the whole hall heard and it made most of everyone's hearts clench.

**"But... surely you know where your niece is going?" she asked looking bewildered.**

"Not likely," said Remus.

**"Certainly we know," said Vernon Dursley. "She's off with some of your lot, isn't she? Right, Dudley, let's get in the car, you heard the man, we're in a hurry."**

"Hestia isn't going to like that," said Minerva.

**Again, Vernon Dursley marched as far as the front door, but Dudley did not follow.**

**"Off with some of our lot?" Hestia looked outraged. Teulu had met this attitude before Witches and wizards seemed stunned that her closed living relatives took so little interest in the famous Teulu Potter.**

**"It's fine," Teulu assured her. "It doesn't matter, honestly."**

**"Doesn't matter?" repeated Hestia, her voice rising considerably. "Don't these people realize what you've been through? What danger you are in? The unique position you hold in the hearts of the anti Voldemort movement?"**

"Wow talk about piling on the pressure." Dean said.

"**Err… no, they don't," said Teulu. "They think I'm a waste of space, actually but I'm used to..."**

**"I don't think you're a waste of space." If Teulu had not seen Dudley's lips move, she might not have believed it. As it was, she stared at Dudley for several seconds before accepting that it must have been her cousin who had spoken; for one thing, Dudley had turned red. Teulu was embarrassed and astonished herself. "Well... err... thanks, Dudley."**

"This is bizarre he wasn't like this at the beginning of this summer." Teulu said.

**Again, Dudley appeared to grapple with thoughts too unwieldy for expression before mumbling, "You saved my life."**

**"Not really," said Teulu. "It was your soul the Dementor would have taken..."**

"No need to be so modest Lu-Lukins." Fred and George sighed dramatically as they shook their heads at her.

**She looked curiously at her cousin. They had had virtually no contact during this summer or last, as Teulu had come back to Privet Drive so briefly and kept to her room so much, ****_though she was glad she had her husband for company otherwise she would of gone mad_****. It now dawned on Teulu, however, that the cup of cold tea on which she had trodden that morning might not have been a booby trap at all. Although rather touched she was nevertheless quite relieved that Dudley appeared to have exhausted his ability to express his feelings. After opening his mouth once or twice more, Dudley subsided into scarlet-faced silence.**

**Aunt Petunia burst into tears. Hestia Jones gave her an approving look that changed to outrage as Aunt Petunia ran forward and embraced Dudley rather than Teulu. "S-so sweet, Dudders..." she sobbed into his massive chest."S-such a lovely b-boy... s-saying thank you..."**

"HE DIDN'T SAY THANK YOU!" Screamed Tonks. "HE SAID HE DIDN'T THINK THAT LU WASN'T A WASTE OF SPACE!"

**"But he hasn't said thank you at all!" said Hestia indignantly. "He only said he didn't think Teulu was a waste of space!" **

**"Yeah, but coming from Dudley that's like 'I love you,'" said Teulu, torn between annoyance and a desire to laugh as Aunt Petunia continued to clutch at Dudley as if he had just saved Teulu from a burning building.**

**"Are we going or not?" roared Uncle Vernon, reappearing yet again at the living room door. "I thought we were on a tight schedule!"**

**"Yes - yes, we are," said Dedalus Diggle, who had been watching these exchanged with an air of bemusement and now seemed to pull himself together. "We really must be off. Teulu..."**

**He tripped forward and wrung Teulu's hand with both of his own.**

**"...good luck. I hope we meet again. The hopes of the Wizarding world rest upon your shoulders."**

"No pressure or anything," Blaise couldn't help but add on.

**"Oh," said Teulu, "right. Thanks." **

**"Farewell, Teulu," said Hestia also clasping her hand. "Our thoughts go with you." ****_She then turned to Draco, "You make sure that you look after her otherwise you'll have me to deal with. Understand?" Draco gave her a look that plainly said 'he wouldn't be caught dead doing anything else' but nodded nonetheless._**

"**I hope everything's okay," said Teulu with a glance toward Aunt Petunia and Dudley.**

**"Oh I'm sure we shall end up the best of chums," said Diggle slightly,**

"I doubt it." said Lavender

**...waving his hat as he left the room. Hestia followed him. Dudley gently released himself from his mother's clutches and walked toward Teulu who had to repress an urge to threaten him with magic.**

All of her friends were laughing again at Teulu's thought knowing she would do it.

**Then Dudley held out his large, pink hand. "Blimey, Dudley," said Teulu over Aunt Petunia's renewed sobs, "did the Dementors blow a different personality into you?"**

The teenagers in the hall were laughing again at that. After five minutes they settled down to read again.

**"Dunno," muttered Dudley, "See you, Teulu." **

**"Yeah..." said Teulu, shaking Dudley's hand and shaking it."Maybe. Take care, Big D." Dudley nearly smiled. They lumbered from the room. Teulu heard his heavy footfalls on the gravelled drive, and then a car door slammed. Aunt Petunia whose face had been buried in her handkerchief looked around at the sound. She did not seem to have expected to find herself alone with Teulu ****_and Draco_****. Hastily stowing her wet handkerchief into her pocket, she said, "Well, good-bye." and marched towards the door without looking at her. **

**"Good-bye" ****_Teulu sighed and rested heavily against Draco's chest. _**

**She stopped and looked back. For a moment Teulu had the strangest feeling that she wanted to say something to her; She gave her an odd, tremulous look and seemed to teeter on the edge of speech, but then, with a little shake of her head, she hustled out of the room after he husband and son.**

"That's the end of the chapter." Draco said, "Who wants to read next?"

"I will." Hermione said summoning the book and opening it to the next chapter before anyone could answer.


	5. Chapter 5: The Seven Potter's

Chapter Five:

"**Chapter 4: The Seven Potters." **Hermione read.

**Teulu ran back upstairs to her bedroom, **_**with Draco right behind her,**_** arriving at the window just in time to see the Dursley's car swinging out of the drive and of up the road. Dedalus top hat was visible between Aunt Petunia and Dudley in the back seat. The car turned right at the end of privet drive, its windows burned scarlet for a moment in the now setting sun, and then it was gone.**

**Teulu pick up Hedwig's cage, her Firebolt and her rucksack, gave her unnaturally tidy bedroom one last sweeping look, **_**smiling when Draco squeezed her hand**_** and then made their ungainly way back downstairs to the hall, where she deposited cage, broomstick and bag near the foot of the stairs. The light was fading rapidly now, the hall full of shadows in the evening light. It felt most strange to stand here in the silence and know that she was about to leave the house for the last time. Long ago, when she had been left alone while the Dursley's went out to enjoy themselves, the hours of solitude had been a rare treat: pausing only to sneak something tasty from the fridge, she had rushed upstairs to play on Dudley's computer, or put on the television and flicked through the channels to her heart's content. It gave her an odd, empty feeling to remember those times; it was like remembering a younger sister whom she had lost.**

**"Don't you want to take a last look at the place?" she asked Hedwig **_**knowing by the tight grip that Draco had on her hand he didn't want to let go of her until it was absolutely necessary**_**, who was still sulking with her head under her wing. "We'll never be here again. Don't you remember all the good times? I mean, look at this doormat. What memories... Dudley puked on it after I saved him from the Dementors...**

"That's the last thing I want to think about," said Sirius shivering he didn't like the idea that his daughter had thought off the Dementors again by herself.

**Turns out he was grateful after all, can you believe it? ... And last summer, Dumbledore walked through that front door..."  
**_**Draco shook his head at his wife and pecked her chastely on the lips and just held her in his arms enjoying the feel of his wife in his arms and by the contented sigh from Teulu knew his wife felt the same.**_

The girls cooed as the boys smirked at them making Teulu and Draco blush.

"I wonder why Professor Dumbledore would do that." Hermione wondered, Teulu just shrugged she didn't know either.

**Teulu lost the thread of her thoughts for a moment and Hedwig did nothing to help her retrieve it, but continued to sit with her head under her wing. Teulu turned her back on the front door. "And under here, Hedwig-" Teulu pulled open a door under the stairs "- is where i used to sleep! You never knew me then - blimey, it's small, I'd forgotten..."**

"YOU USED TO SLEEP UNDER THE STAIRS IN THAT SMALL CUPBOARD!?" shouted Sirius and Remus. Teulu flinched at their loud voices. Charlie rubbed soothing circles on his little sister's back trying to calm her even though he was seething with anger.

"_**WHAT YOU SLEPT IN A CUPBOARD!" Draco roared. Teulu turned and looked at Draco and rubbed his cheek soothingly. She smirked as Draco leaned into her touch unconsciously; Draco scowled at her making her smile cheekily. Draco grabbed her and started tickling her sides making her giggle. "St-stop Dray." Teulu grasped, after a few more seconds Draco stopped and pulled her into his arms. "I wish you had told me." Draco sighed. Teulu moved a lock of hair out of his eyes and kissed him on the lips.  
"I didn't want to upset you and it's the past Dray please let it go." Teulu asked pleadingly, Draco was hesitant but gave in albeit reluctantly as he let out a heavy sigh and nodded his head. Teulu smiled at him and turned and started giving Hedwig the tour again and by extension Draco as Draco had moved her closer to his side if that were possible.**_

**Teulu looked around at the stacked shoes and umbrellas, remembering how she used to wake every morning looking up at the underside of the staircase, which was more often than not adorned with a spider or two. Those had been the days before she had known anything about her true identity; before she had found out how her parents had died or why such strange things often happened around her. But Teulu could still remember the dreams involving flashes of green light and, once - Uncle Vernon had nearly crashed the car when Teulu had recounted it - a flying motorbike...**

Sirius smiled at the mention that Teulu remembered his bike and looked at his daughter to see a fond smile on her face.

**There was a sudden, deafening roar from somewhere nearby, Teulu straightened up with a jerk and smacked the top of her head on the low door frame. Pausing only to empty a few of Uncle Vernon's choicest swear words, **_**Draco shook his head at her clumsiness and rubbed the back of her head for her. **_

"Language Teulu." Remus reprimanded, even though he knew this hadn't happened yet.

"_**Oh Lu what am I going to do with you." Draco sighed. Teulu looked imploringly at Draco and blinked her eyes owlishly.  
"Love me?" Teulu asked tilting her head to the side and looked up at Draco with Puppy-dog eyes. Draco took Hedwig off of her and put her with Teulu's Firebolt, and pulled Teulu into his arms. "I will always love you Lu, I promise you mean everything to me." Draco said kissing her more passionately on the lips. After a few minutes which seemed like hours they pulled apart from each other,**_

The girls cooed at the two of them again.

_**Draco taking her hand, his left hand discreetly on his wand, and stood slightly in front of Teulu.**_

Mad-eye nodded approvingly at him. Draco flushed a light pink in embarrassment as he saw that his mother was also nodding approvingly.

_**As they he held her as **_**she staggered back into the kitchen, clutching her head **_**with her free hand, as they **_**stared out into the back garden.**

**The darkness seems to be ripping, the air itself quivering. Then, one by one, figures began to pop into sight as their Disillusionment Charms lifted. Dominating the scene was Hagrid, wearing a helmet and goggles and sitting astride an enormous motorbike with a black sidecar attached. All around him other people were dismounting from brooms and, in two cases, skeletal, black winged horses.**

**Wrenching open the black door, Teulu hurtled into their midst. There was a general cry of greeting as Hermione flung her arms around her, Ron clapped her **_**and Draco**_** on the back and Hagrid said, "All righ', Teulu? Ready fer the off?"**

"**Definitely," said Teulu, beaming around at them all. "But I wasn't expecting this many of you!"**

**'Change of plan,' growled Mad-Eye, who was holding two enormous, bulging sacks and whose magical eye was spinning from darkening sky to house garden with dizzying rapidity. "Let's get undercover before we talk you through it."**

**Teulu **_**and Draco**_** led them all back into the kitchen where, laughing and chattering, they settled themselves upon Aunt Petunia's gleaming work-surfaces or leaned up against her spotless appliances: Ron, long and lanky; Hermione her bushy hair tied back in a long plait; Fred and George, grinning identically; Bill badly scarred and long-haired; Mr. Weasley, kind faced, Tonks, whose short hair was her favourite shade of bright pink; Remus, greyer, more lined; Fleur, slender and beautiful, with her long, silvery blonde hair; Kingsley, bald, black broad-shouldered; Hagrid with his wild hair and beard, standing hunchbacked to avoid hitting his head on the ceiling; and Mundungus Fletcher, small, dirty, and hangdog, with his droopy beady hound's eyes and matted hair. Teulu's heart seemed to expand and glow at the sight: She felt incredibly fond of all of them, even Mundungus, whom she had tried to strangle the last time they had met.**

"Nice description of Mundungus Lu," Said Tonks.

**"Kingsley, I thought you were looking after the Muggle Prime Minister?" She called across the room.**

**"He can get along without me for one night," said Kingsley, "You're more important."**

**"Lu, guess what?" said Tonks from her perch on top of the washing machine, and she wiggled her left hand at her; a ring glistened there.**

**"You got married?" Teulu yelped, looking from her to **_**Kingsley.**_

"CONGRATULATIONS KINGS AND TONKS!" Everyone shouted making Kingsley and Tonks blush.

**"I'm sorry you couldn't be there, Lu, it was very quiet."**

**"That's brilliant, congratulations..."**

**"All right, all right, we'll have time for a cosy catch-up later," roared Moody over the hubbub, and silence fell in the kitchen. Moody dropped his sacks at his feet and turned to Teulu **_**and by extension Draco as he still had his arms wrapped around her**_**. "As Dedalus probably told you, we had to abandon Plan A. Pius Thicknesse has gone over, which gives us a big problem. He's made it an imprisonable offense to connect this house to the Floo Network, place a Portkey here, or Apparate in or out. All done in the name of your protection, to prevent You-Know-Who getting in at you. Absolutely pointless, seeing as your mother's charm does that already. What he's really done is to stop you getting out of here safely."**

**"Second problem: You're underage, which means you've still got the Trace on you."**

**"I don't ..."**

**"The Trace, the Trace!" said Mad-Eye impatiently. "The charm that detects magical activity around under-seventeen's, the way the Ministry finds out about underage magic! If you, or anyone around you, cast a spell to get you out of here, Thicknesse is going to know about it, and so will the Death Eaters."**

**"We can't wait for the Trace to break, because the moment you turn seventeen you'll lose all the protection your mother gave you. In short, Pius Thicknesse thinks he's got you cornered good and proper."**

**Teulu could not help but agree with the unknown Thicknesse.**

"What are they going to do?" asked Susan.

**"So what are we going to do?"**

**"We're going to use the only means of transport left to us, the only ones the Trace can't detect, because we don't need to cast spells to use them: brooms, Thestral's, and Hagrid's motorbike."** **Teulu could see flaws in this plan; however, she held her tongue to give Mad-Eye the chance to address them.**

**"Now, your mother's charm will only break under two conditions: when you come of age, or..." Moody gestured around the pristine kitchen - "you no longer call this place home. You and your aunt and uncle are going your separate ways tonight, in the full understanding that you're never going to live together again, correct?"**

**Teulu nodded.**

**"So this time, when you leave, there'll be no going back, and the charm will break the moment you get outside its range. We're choosing to break it early, because the alternative is waiting for You-Know-Who to come and seize you the moment you turn seventeen."**

"I've got a bad feeling about this," said Sirius.

**"The one thing we've got on our side is that You-Know-Who doesn't know we're moving you tonight.**

"He does know though," said Dean. "Thanks to Snape, well future Snape."

**We've leaked a fake trail to the Ministry: They think you're not leaving until the thirtieth. However, this is You-Know-Who we're dealing with, so we can't rely on him getting the date wrong; he's bound to have a couple of Death Eaters patrolling the skies in this general area, just in case. So, we've given a dozen different houses every protection we can throw at them. They all look like they could be the place we're going to hide you, they've all got some connection with the Order: my house, Kingsley's place, Molly's Auntie Muriel's... you get the idea."**

**"Yeah," said Teulu, not entirely truthfully, because she could still spot a gaping hole in the plan.**

**"You'll be going to Tonks' parents. **_**Draco will be Apparating straight to the Burrow before we leave. **_**Once you're within the boundaries of the protective enchantments we've put on their house you'll be able to use a Portkey to the Burrow. Any questions?"**

**"Err…yes," said Teulu. "Maybe they won't know which of the twelve secure houses I'm heading for at first, but won't it be sort of obvious once..."- she performed a quick headcount, "fourteen of us fly off toward Tonks' parents?"**

"Well done girly." Mad-eye praised wondering what his future self was doing.

**"Ah," said Moody, "I forgot to mention the key point. Fourteen of us won't be flying to Tonks' parents. There will be seven Teulu Potters moving through the skies tonight, each of them with a companion, each pair heading for a different safe house, **_**after**__**what you and Draco wrote to me and told me about I have adjusted it slightly but it will still work**_**."**

"_**What are you talking about Mad-eye?" Remus asked concerned, looking from his daughter, to Draco then to Mad-eye.**_

"_**I'm sure Teulu will tell you in her own time Remus but for now." Mad-eye said and **_**from inside his cloak Moody now withdrew a flask of what looked like mud. There was no need for him to say another word; Teulu understood the rest of the plan immediately.**

"Polyjuice potion," said Teulu shaking her said in a no and looking at her friends.

**"No!" she said loudly, her voice ringing through the kitchen. "No way!"**

"I guess you have used it before then," said Remus frowning at his daughter who just looked at him sheepishly.

**"I told them you'd take it like this," said Hermione with a hint of complacency.**

**"If you think I'm going to let six people risk their lives..."**

**"...because it's the first time for all of us," said Ron.**

**"This is different, pretending to be me..." said Teulu.**

**"Well, none of us really fancy it, Teulu, **_**well Draco would.**_**" said Fred earnestly. "**_**But **_**imagine if something went wrong and we were stuck as scrawny gits forever..."**

"Oi," Teulu said hitting Fred around the head.

"Ow Lu." Fred whined rubbing his head.

**Teulu did not smile; **_**Draco's lips twitched but hid his smirk behind his hand**_**.**

**"You can't do it if I don't cooperate; you need me to give you some hair..."**

**"Well, that's the plan scuppered," said George. "Obviously there's no chance at all of us getting a bit of your hair unless you cooperate..."**

**"Yeah, thirteen of us against one woman who's not allowed to use magic; we've got no chance!" said Fred.**

**"Funny," said Teulu, "really amusing."**

**"If it has to come to force, then it will," growled Moody, his magical eye now quivering a little in its socket as he glared at Teulu. "Everyone here's overage, Potter, and they're all prepared to take the risk."**

**Mundungus shrugged and grimaced; the magical eye swerved sideways to glance at him out of the side of Moody's head.**

**"Let's have no more arguments. Time's wearing on. I want a few of your hairs, girl, now."**

**"But this is mad, there's no need!" **_**Draco shook his head at her and whispered in her ear that she was more than worth it.**_

"If it keeps you safe pup, do it." Sirius said wishing that he was there for her, but promising himself that he would always be there for her.

**"No need!" snarled Moody. "With You-Know-Who out there and half the Ministry on his side? Potter, if we're lucky he'll have swallowed the****fake bait and he'll be planning to ambush you on the thirtieth, but he'd be mad not to have a Death Eater or two keeping an eye out, it's what I'd do. They might not be able to get at you or this house while your mother's charm holds, but it's about to break and they know the rough position of the place. Our only chance is to use decoys. Even You-Know-Who can't split himself into seven."**

**Teulu caught Hermione's eye and looked away at once.**

Teulu looked at Hermione. "What was that all about?" Hermione, Teulu shrugged she didn't know what it was about either.

**"So, Potter, some of your hair, if you please."**

**Teulu glanced at Ron, who grimaced at her in a just-do-it sort of way.**

**"Now!" barked Moody.**

**With all of their eyes upon her, Teulu reached up to the top of her head, **_**grabbed a few strands of hair, and pulled.**_

**"Good," said Moody, limping forward as he pulled the stopper out of the flask of potion. "Straight in here, if you please."**

**Teulu dropped the hair into the mud like liquid. The moment it made contact with its surface, the potion began to froth and smoke, then, all at once, it turned a clear, bright gold.**

**"Ooh, you look much tastier than Crabbe and **_**Pansy**_**, Teulu," said Hermione, before catching sight of Ron's raised eyebrows, blushing slightly, and saying, "Oh, you know what I mean! **_**Teulu said Pansy's**_** potion tasted like bogies."**

"And when did u take PolyJuice potion?" Remus and Sirius asked the three. Teulu, Hermione and Ron looked at each other before answering at the same time. "Errm... Second year." they said sheepishly making everyone in the hall stare at them.

Before anyone could start shouting at them Hermione carried on reading, but Teulu knew that in the next break her Papa and dad would want to talk about it.

**"Right then, fake Potters line up over here, please," said Moody.**

**Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and Fleur lined up in front of Aunt Petunia's gleaming sink.**

**"We're one short," said Remus.**

"Mundungus," said Remus.

**"Here," said Hagrid gruffly, and he lifted Mundungus by the scruff of the neck and dropped him down beside Fleur, who wrinkled her nose pointedly and moved along to stand between Fred and George instead.**

**"I'm a soldier, I'd sooner be a protector," said Mundungus.**

"He's such a coward! Why the hell was he there to protect my pup?!"Sirius shouted.

**"Shut it," growled Moody. "As I've already told you, you spineless worm, any Death Eaters we run into will be aiming to capture Potter, not kill her. Dumbledore always said You-Know-Who would want to finish Potter in person. It'll be the protectors who have got the most to worry about; the Death Eaters'll want to kill them."**

**Mundungus did not look particularly reassured, but Moody was already pulling half a dozen eggcup-sized glasses from inside his cloak, which he handed out, before pouring a little Polyjuice Potion into each one. "Altogether, then..."**

**Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Fleur, and Mundungus drank. All of them gasped and grimaced as the potion hit their throats; At once, their features began to bubble and distort like hot wax. Hermione and Mundungus were shooting upward; Ron, Fred, and George were shrinking; Hermione's and Fleur's **_**all of their hairs were lengthening and darkening.**_

**Moody, quite unconcerned, was now loosening the ties of the large sacks he had brought with him. When he straightened up again, there were six Teulu Potters gasping and panting in front of him.**

**Fred and George turned to each other and said together, "Wow ""we're identical!"**

Teulu laughed at the comment.

**"I dunno, though, I think I'm still better-looking," said Fred, examining his reflection in the kettle.**

**"Bah," said Fleur, checking herself in the microwave door, "Bill, don't look at me ¨I'm 'ideous."**

"Hey!" Draco shouted glaring at Fleur. "Lu is not hideous." Fleur apologised and Remus and Sirius looked proud that Draco stuck up for Teulu, but their proud looks soon turned to a glare as all of the boys in the hall (not including her friends but including Seamus) were looking at Teulu with lust in their eyes making her uncomfortable and wishing she didn't wear a skirt she ran back over to Sirius and Remus and sat in between them, nad buried her red face in Remus' chest as he and Sirius wrapped their arms around her as they, Draco, the Weasley boys and her friends glared at them.

"Stop it Finnegan!" Draco snapped. Before a fight could break out and hoping to take away the focus on Teulu, Hermione started reading again.

**"Those whose clothes are a bit roomy, I've got smaller here," said Moody, indicating the first sack, "and vice versa. And when you're dressed, there's luggage in the other sack."**

"_**Wait!" shouted Draco. "Fred, George, Ron don't you dare look at Lu's body or so help me."Draco threatened. He then waved his wand and Mundungus was now in the clothes that were in the bag, he waved his wand again and blindfolded Mundungus. "Hey wots going on." Mundungus cried trying to get the blindfold off.**_

"_**I don't trust you to look at Teulu's body so you will stay blindfolded till I remove it." Draco sneered.**_

**The real Teulu thought that this might just be the most bizarre thing she had ever seen, and she had seen some extremely odd things. She watched as her **_**five**_** doppelgangers rummaged in the sacks, pulling out sets of clothes, stuffing their own things away. She **_**thought it was funny watching Fred, George and Ron dressing with their eyes closed while trying not to fall over. **_

**She felt like asking **_**Hermione and Fleur**_** to show a little more respect for privacy as they all began stripping off with impunity, clearly more at ease with displaying her body than they would have been with their own. **_**"Draco I knew you were lying about Lu having that tattoo on her chest." Hermione said as she looked down at her bare chest.**_

"_**Hermione!" Teulu shouted, looking over to Remus who had had turned his back to them, (the same as the other men in the room to give her some privacy) had clenched his fist. "Papa, I don't have a tattoo there Draco only said it to get rid of Roderick Vane last year." Teulu said.**_

"I see you didn't deny the fact he's seen your chest though." Remus said in a false calm voice.

"Papa Draco hasn't in this time but in the books it said that I might be pregnant." Teulu said. But that appeared to be the wrong thing to say.

"We don't want our baby girl pregnant at sixteen nearly seventeen." Sirius said looking over to his grandson, hoping the answer was a no. "Is she pregnant in the book?"

Scorpious nodded his head, "She was pregnant with twins." He said sadly, tears gathering in his eyes.

"What do you mean she 'was'?" Narcissa asked.

"Mum lost the twins while she was doing the mission Dumbledore sent her on, but at separate times." Scorpious said. "I'm sorry mum, dad."

Draco nodded tears running down his face and got up and pulled his sobbing fiancée into his arms. "Cub we're so sorry we didn't want you to lose the babies, but we just didn't like the idea of you pregnant, but we never wanted this." Remus said rubbing her back.

_**Remus clenched his fists tighter as Teulu winced realised she didn't disagree with Hermione's whole statement. **_

**Once dressed, the fake Teulu's took rucksacks and owl cages, each containing a stuffed snowy owl, from the second sack.**

**"Good," said Moody, as at last seven dressed, bespectacled, and luggage-laden Teulu's faced him. "The pairs will be as follows: Mundungus will be travelling with me, by broom..."**

**"Why'm I with you?" grunted the Teulu nearest the back door.**

**"Because you're the one that needs watching," growled Moody, and sure enough, his magical eye did not waver from Mundungus as he continued, "Arthur and Fred..."**

**"I'm George," said the twin at whom Moody was pointing. "Can't you even tell us apart when we're Teulu?"**

**"Sorry, George…"**

**"I'm only yanking your wand, I'm Fred really..."**

Everyone laughed as Mad-eye glared at the twins.

**"Enough messing around!" snarled Moody. "The other one, George or Fred or whoever you are - you're with Remus. Miss Delacour..."**

**"I'm taking Fleur on a Thestral," said Bill. "She's not that fond of brooms."**

**Fleur walked over to stand beside him, giving him a soppy, slavish look that Teulu hoped with all her heart would never appear on her face again.**

"That look is on your face when you look at Draco, the same goes for him." Neville said trying to cheer his sister up. He smiled at her when he saw a small smile forming her lips along with a light blush spreading across her cheeks.

**"Miss Granger with Kingsley, again by Thestral..."**

**Hermione looked reassured as she answered Kingsley's smile; Teulu knew that Hermione too lacked confidence on a broomstick.**

**"Which leaves you and me, Ron!" said Tonks brightly, knocking over a mug tree as she waved at him.**

**Ron did not look quite as pleased as Hermione.**

"Why?" Tonks asked her hair slowly turning red.

"Its probably because Ron felt bad for having to wrap his arms around you when you're on the broom because you just married Kingsley." Teulu placated. Ron smiled thanking her as she had calmed Tonks down.

**"An' you're with me, Teulu. That all righ'?" said Hagrid, looking a little anxious. "We'll be on the bike, brooms an' Thestral's can't take me weight, see. Not a lot o' room on the seat with me on it, though, so you'll be in the sidecar."**

"I never thought of putting a sidecar on my motorbike, seems like a good idea," said Sirius.

**"That's great," said Teulu, not altogether truthfully, **_**looking at everyone worriedly.**_

"Sorry Hagrid." Teulu apologised.

"Its al'ight Lu I understand." Hagrid smiling at her.

**"We think the Death Eaters will expect you to be on a broom," said Moody, who seemed to guess how Teulu was feeling. "Snape's had plenty of time to tell them everything about you he's never mentioned before, so if we do run into any Death Eaters, we're betting they'll choose one of the Potters who look at home on a broomstick. All right then," he went on, tying up the sack with the fake Potters' clothes in it and leading the way back to the door, "I make it three minutes until we're supposed to leave. No point locking the back door, it won't keep the Death Eaters out when they come looking. Come on ..."**

**Teulu hurried to gather her rucksack, Firebolt, and Hedwig's cage and followed the group to the dark back garden. **

**On every side broomsticks were leaping into hands; Hermione had already been helped up onto a great black Thestral by Kingsley, Fleur onto the other by Bill. Hagrid was standing ready beside the motorbike, goggles on.**

**"Is this it? Is this my dad's bike?"**

**"The very same," said Hagrid, beaming down at Teulu. "An' the last time yeh was on it, Teulu, I could fit yeh in one hand!"**

"Aw…" cooed all the women in the room except Umbridge making Teulu blush.

"_**Be safe Draco."Teulu said kissing Draco on the lips, as she wrapped her arms around his neck.**_

"_**I'll be fine I'm just going to Apparate straight to the Burrow, promise me that you'll be safe I don't know what I'd do without you." Draco said pulling Teulu closer to him and kissing her passionately on the lips. When they parted Draco held for little bit, before Mad-eye cleared his throat. "Bye babe." Draco said before giving her one more kiss before Disapperating.**_

**Teulu could not help but feel a little humiliated as she got into the sidecar. It placed her several feet below everybody else: Ron smirked at the sight of her sitting there like a child in a bumper car. Teulu stuffed her rucksack and broomstick down by her feet and rammed Hedwig's cage between her knees. She was extremely uncomfortable. **_**She turned and glared at Ron's smirking face that made him flinch and turn and Teulu to smirk triumphantly.**_

The hall laughed, though those who had been on the receiving end of her temper flinched.

**"Arthur's done a bit o' tinkerin'," said Hagrid, quite oblivious to Teulu's discomfort. He settled himself astride the motorcycle, which creaked slightly and sank inches into the ground. "It's got a few tricks up its sleeves now. Tha' one was my idea." He pointed a thick finger at a purple button near the speedometer.**

**"Please be careful, Hagrid." said Mr. Weasley, who was standing beside them, holding his broomstick. "I'm still not sure that was advisable and it's certainly only to be used in emergencies."**

"I really hope Hagrid doesn't touch it." Arthur said before smiling apologetically at Hagrid showing he didn't mean anything by it.

**"All right, then." said Moody. "Everyone ready, please. I want us all to leave at exactly the same time or the whole point of the diversions lost."**

**Everybody motioned their heads. "Hold tight now, Ron," said Tonks, and Teulu saw Ron throw a forcing, guilty look at Kingsley before placing his hands on each side of her waist. Hagrid kicked the motorbike into life: It roared like a dragon and the sidecar began to vibrate.**

"Poor Ron," said Teulu laughed.

"Shut up Lu." Ron huffed his face bright red.

**"Good luck, everyone," shouted Moody. "See you all in about an hour at the Burrow. On the count of three. One ... two… THREE."**

**There was a great roar from the motorbike, and Teulu felt the sidecar give a nasty lurch. She was rising through the air fast, her eyes watering slightly, hair whipped back off her face. Around her brooms were soaring upward too; the long black tail of a Thestral flicked past. Her legs, jammed into the sidecar by Hedwig's cage and her rucksack, were already sore and starting to go numb. So great was her discomfort that she almost forgot to take a last glimpse of number four Privet Drive. By the time she looked over the edge of the sidecar she could no longer tell which one it was.**

**And then, out of nowhere, out of nothing, they were surrounded. **

"NO!" shouted most of the hall.

**At least thirty hooded figures, suspended in midair, formed a vast circle in the middle of which the Order members had risen, oblivious. Screams, a blaze of green light on every side: Hagrid gave a yell and the motorbike rolled over. Teulu lost any sense of where they were. Streetlights above her, yells around her, she was clinging to the sidecar for dear life. Hedwig's cage, the Firebolt, and her rucksack slipped from beneath her knees.**

"No Hedwig!" Teulu cried.

**"No - HELP!"**

**The broomstick spun too, but he just managed to seize the strap of his rucksack and the top of the cage as the motorbike swung the right way up again. A second's relief, and then another burst of green light. The owl screeched and fell to the floor of the cage.**

Teulu was crying into Draco's arms at the thought of her first and best friend dying when she was mad at her. "Oh Lu I'm so sorry." Hermione said getting up and rubbing her best friends back knowing how much Hedwig meant to her. There was a screech from above and everyone looked up and saw Hedwig flying in to land on Teulu's shoulder and started rubbing her head on Teulu's cheek.

Teulu smiled and stroked Hedwig's head. "Thanks Hedwig." Teulu said kissing her owls head. Hedwig hooted happily and hopped onto Draco's shoulder and started preening his hair making everyone to gape at him. He shrugged and signalled Hermione to keep reading pulling Teulu into his lap.

**"No - NO!"**

**The motorbike zoomed forward; Teulu glimpsed hooded Death Eaters scattering as Hagrid blasted through their circle.**

**"Hedwig - Hedwig..."**

**But the owl lay motionless and pathetic as a toy on the floor of her cage. She could not take it in, and her terror for the others was paramount. She glanced over her shoulder and saw a mass of people moving, flares of green light, two pairs of people on brooms soaring off into the distance, but she could not tell who they were.**

**"Hagrid, we've got to go back, we've got to go back!" she yelled over the thunderous roar of the engine, pulling out her wand, ramming Hedwig's cage into the floor, refusing to believe that she was dead. "Hagrid, TURN AROUND!"**

"Don't take her back Hagrid! Get her out of there" said Arthur

"Don' worry Arthur I won'." Hagrid reassured.

**"My job's ter get you there safe, Teulu!" bellow Hagrid, and he opened the throttle. "Stop - STOP!" Teulu shouted, but as she looked back again two jets of green light flew past her left ear: Four Death Eaters had broken away from the circle and were pursuing them, aiming for Hagrid's broad back. Hagrid swerved, but the Death Eaters were keeping up with the bike; more curses shot after them, and Teulu had to sink low into the sidecar to avoid them. Wriggling around she cried, "Stupefy!" and a red bolt of light shot from her own wand, cleaving a gap between the four pursuing Death Eaters as they scattered to avoid it.**

**"Hold on, Teulu, this'll do for 'em!" roared Hagrid and Teulu looked up just in time to see Hagrid slamming a thick finger into a green button near the fuel gauge. A wall, a solid black wall, erupted out of the exhaust pipe. Craning her neck, Teulu saw it expand into being in midair. Three of the Death Eaters swerved and avoided it, but the fourth was not so lucky; she vanished from view and then dropped like a boulder from behind it, her broomstick broken into pieces. One of his fellows slowed up to save him, but they and the airborne wall were swallowed by darkness as Hagrid leaned low over the handlebars and sped up.**

**More Killing Curses flew past Teulu's head from the two remaining Death Eaters' wands; they were aiming for Hagrid. Teulu responded with further Stunning Spells: Red and green collided in midair in a shower of multicoloured sparks, and Teulu thought wildly of fireworks, and the Muggles below who would have no idea what was happening.**

**"Here we go again, Teulu, hold on!" yelled Hagrid and he jabbed at a second button. This time a great net burst from the bike's exhaust, but the Death Eaters were ready for it. Not only did they swerve to avoid it, but the companion who had slowed to save their unconscious friend had caught up. He bloomed suddenly out of the darkness and now three of them were pursuing the motorbike, all shooting curses after it.**

"Something's bad is going to happen with that bike," said Sirius quietly hoping it wouldn't as he didn't want his daughter or Hagrid to get hurt but that bike would be really old in the book as he'd had it since he was sixteen.

**"This'll do it, Teulu, hold on tight!" yelled Hagrid, and Teulu saw him slam his whole hand onto the purple button beside the speedometer.**

**With an unmistakable bellowing roar, dragon fire burst from the exhaust, white-hot and blue, and the motorbike shot forward like a bullet with a sound of wrenching metal. Teulu saw the Death Eaters swerve out of sight to avoid the deadly trail of flame, and at the same time felt the sidecar sway ominously: Its metal connections to the bike had splintered with the force of acceleration.**

"I knew it," Sirius whispered his face pale as he pulled Teulu back into his arms. Teulu knowing better than to argue just went with it and snuggled into her dads hold.

**"It's all righ', Teulu!" bellowed Hagrid, now thrown flat onto the back by the surge of speed; nobody was steering now, and the sidecar was starting to twist violently in the bike's slipstream.**

**"I'm on it, Teulu, don' worry!" Hagrid yelled, and from inside his jacket pocket he pulled his flowery pink umbrella.**

**"Hagrid! No! Let me!"**

**"REPARO!"**

**There was a deafening bang and the sidecar broke away from the bike completely.**

"I'm sorry Lu." Hagrid apologised.

"Its alright Hagrid it's the thought that counts." Teulu smiled making Hagrid blush and smile largely at her and for Umbridge to glare at her.

**Teulu sped forward, propelled by the impetus of the bike's flight, then the sidecar began to lose height.**

**In desperation Teulu pointed her wand at the sidecar and shouted, "Wingardium Leviosa!"**

"Well done Miss. Potter or should I say Potter-Black." Professor Flitwick praised. Teulu blushed but thanked him.

**The sidecar rose like a cork, unsteerable but at least still airborne. She had but a split second's relief, however, as more curses streaked past her: The three Death Eaters were closing in.**

**"I'm comin', Teulu!" Hagrid yelled from out of the darkness, but Teulu could feel the sidecar beginning to sink again: Crouching as low as she could, she pointed at the middle of the oncoming figures and yelled, "Impedimenta!"**

"Nice one girlie." Mad-eye nodded approvingly.

**The jinx hit the middle Death Eater in the chest; For a moment the man was absurdly spread-eagled in midair as though he had hit an invisible barrier: One of his fellows almost collided with him - Then the sidecar began to fall in earnest, and the remaining Death Eater shot a curse so close to Teulu that she had to duck below the rim of the car, knocking out a tooth on the edge of his seat.**

"You really are advanced with your spells Lu." Kingsley stated, Teulu shrugged though some were looking at her suspiciously namely Fudge and Umbridge.

**"I'm comin', Teulu, I'm comin'!"**

**A huge hand seized the back of Teulu's robes and hoisted her out of the plummeting sidecar; Teulu pulled her rucksack with her as she dragged herself onto the motorbike's seat and found herself back-to-back with Hagrid. As they soared upward, away from the two remaining Death Eaters, Teulu spat blood out of her mouth, pointed her wand at the falling sidecar, and yelled, "Confringo!"**

**She knew a dreadful, gut-wrenching pang for Hedwig as it exploded; the Death Eater nearest it was blasted off his broom and fell from sight; his companion fell back and vanished.**

Teulu felt dreadful for what happened to Hedwig but swore to herself that she wouldn't let it happen this time.

**"Teulu, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," moaned Hagrid, "I shouldn'ta tried ter repair it meself - yeh've got no room..."**

**"It's not a problem, just keep flying!" Teulu shouted back, as two more Death Eaters emerged out of the darkness, drawing closer.**

"Yes, you keep flying Hagrid!" said Professor Sprout said.

**As the curses came shooting across the intervening space again, Hagrid swerved and zigzagged: Teulu knew that Hagrid did not dare use the dragon-fire button again, with Teulu seated so insecurely. Teulu sent Stunning Spell after Stunning Spell back at their pursuers, barely holding them off. She shot another blocking jinx at them: The closest Death Eater swerved to avoid it and his hood slipped, and by the red light of his next Stunning Spell, Teulu saw the strangely blank face of Stanley Shunpike.**

**"Expelliarmus!" Teulu yelled.**

**"That's her, it's her, it's the real one!"**

"How did they know it was you?" Neville asked.

Teulu shrugged she didn't know but by the horrified look on her papa's face he had figured it out.

**The hooded Death Eater's shout reached Teulu even above the thunder of the motorbike's engine: Next moment, both pursuers had fallen back and disappeared from view.**

**"Teulu, what's happened?" bellowed Hagrid. "Where've they gone?"**

**"I don't know!"**

**But Teulu was afraid: **

"That's not good." Ron mutated with wise eyes, when nearly everyone looked at him confused. "Lu is hardly ever afraid only for the people she cares about, but when you're in a situation like that and she's scared you know it's not good." He continued, Hermione nodding her head in agreement. Everyone was looking at the three of them wondering what the hell they have been through to make them talk like that, like they're talking from experience.

**The hooded Death Eater had shouted, "It's the real one!" how had he known? She gazed around at the apparently empty darkness and felt its menace. Where were they?**

"Oh no, oh no, oh no," said nearly everyone in the hall their voices full of panic.

**She clambered around on the seat to face forward and seized hold of the back of Hagrid's jacket.**

**"Hagrid, do the dragon-fire thing again, let's get out of here!"**

**"Hold on tight, then, Teulu!"**

**There was a deafening, screeching roar again and the white-blue fire shot from the exhaust: Teulu felt herself slipping backwards off what little of the seat she had. Hagrid flung backward upon her, barely maintaining his grip on the handlebars. "I think we've lost 'em Teulu, I think we've done it!" yelled Hagrid.**

"He's gone and cursed it," said Seamus.

"Ya think?" Teulu muttered.

**But Teulu was not convinced; Fear lapped at her as she looked left and right for pursuers she was sure would come... Why had they fallen back? One of them had still had a wand... It's her... it's the real one... They had said it right after she had tried to Disarm Stan...**

**"We're nearly there, Teulu, we've nearly made it!" shouted Hagrid.**

**Teulu felt the bike drop a little, though the lights down on the ground still seemed remote as stars.**

**Then the scar on her forehead burned like fire: as a Death Eater appeared on either side of the bike, two Killing Curses missed Teulu by millimetres, cast from behind - And then Teulu saw him. Voldemort was flying like smoke on the wind, without broomstick or Thestral to hold him, his snake-like face gleaming out of the blackness, his white fingers raising his wand again.**

"She lives, she lives..." Sirius kept saying.

**Hagrid let out a bellow of fear and steered the motorbike into a vertical dive. Clinging on for dear life, Teulu sent Stunning Spells flying at random into the whirling night. She saw a body fly past her and knew she had hit one of them, but then she heard a bang and saw sparks from the engine; the motorbike spiralled through the air, completely out of control.**

**Green jets of light shot past them again. Teulu had no idea which way was up, which down: Her scar was still burning; she expected to die at any second. A hooded figure on a broomstick was feet from her; she saw it raise its arm.**

"She's not going to die," said Daphne in a panicked stricken voice. "She has a son with Draco." she said looking at her friend worriedly.

**"NO!"**

**With a shout of fury Hagrid launched himself off the bike at the Death Eater; to his horror, Teulu saw both Hagrid and the Death Eater, falling out of sight, their combined weight too much for the broomstick.**

"NO HAGRID!" Teulu shouted looking at her friend with tears in her eyes. Hagrid smoked reassuringly at the girl who had become something like a daughter to him.

**Barely gripping the plummeting bike with her knees, Teulu heard Voldemort scream, "Mine!"**

**It was over: she could not see or hear where Voldemort was; she glimpsed another Death Eater swooping out of the way and heard, "Avada..."**

"NO!" Teulu's friends and family shouted.

**As the pain from Teulu's scar forced her eyes shut, her wand acted of its own accord. She felt it drag her hand around like some great magnet, saw a spurt of golden fire**

"What?" everyone asked confused.

**Through her half-closed eyelids, heard a crack and a scream of fury. The remaining Death Eater yelled; Voldemort screamed, "NO!" Somehow, Teulu found her nose an inch from the dragon-fire button. She punched it with her wand-free hand and the bike shot more flames into the air, hurtling straight toward the ground.**

**"Hagrid!" Teulu called, holding on to the bike for dear life. "Hagrid - Accio Hagrid!"**

**The motorbike sped up, sucked towards the earth. Face level with the handlebars, Teulu could see nothing but distant lights growing nearer and nearer: she was going to crash and there was nothing she could do about it. Behind her came another scream, "Your wand, Selwyn, give me your wand!"**

Narcissa started laughing making everyone look at her weirdly. "Lu broke Lucius' wand." she laughed.

**She felt Voldemort before she saw him. Looking sideways, she stared into the red eyes and was sure they would be the last thing she ever saw: Voldemort preparing to curse her once more.**

**And then Voldemort vanished. Teulu looked down and saw Hagrid spread-eagled on the ground below her. She pulled hard at the handlebars to avoid hitting her, groped for the brake, but with an ear splitting, ground trembling crash, she smashed into a muddy pond.**

"That's the end of the chapter who's going to read next?" Hermione asked.

"I will Miss. Granger." Professor McGonagall said summoning the book over to her.


	6. Chapter 6: The Fallen Warrior

Hey guys so sorry for the exceptionally long wait I have had tons of college work to do and I had no time to write out the book as well as my parts in it so I'm so sorry and that is also the reason why I posted new stories to make up for not posting this one and Leaving the Dursleys as I have no time to do them, but I promise that I am not abandoning them and I will work on them as soon as I can. And anyone looking for my Chronicles of Aphrodite Potter stories they are on Wattpad.

Anything in bold italics is what I've changed and added the normal bold is J.K Rowling's

* * *

Chapter Six:

**"Chapter Five: The Fallen Warrior."** McGonagall read.

People throughout the hall where wondering who it was though Draco was clutching his fiancée tight to him after she had escaped from her dad's tight grip, Teulu sighed but smiled happily that Draco wasn't put off from what he had read about her home life so far. She sighed contentedly as she rested her head on his broad muscled chest, with Draco's arms around her waist rubbing the skin above her hip under her shirt.

**'Hagrid?'  
Teulu struggled to raise herself out of the debris of the metal and leather that surrounded her; her hands sank into inches of muddy water as she tried to stand, _one hand on her still flat stomach wondering fearfully if her unborn baby was alright._ She could not understand where Voldemort had gone and expected him to swoop out of the darkness at any moment. Something hot and wet was tricking down her chin and from her forehead. She crawled out of the pond and stumbled towards the great, dark mass on the ground that was Hagrid.  
'Hagrid? Hagrid, talk to me-'  
But the dark mass did not stir.  
'Who's there? Is it Potter? Are you Teulu Potter?**

Teulu didn't recognise the man's voice; _Teulu wrapped her arms tight around her stomach trying to protect her unborn baby._ Then a woman shouted, 'They've crashed, Ted! Crashed in the garden!'

"Thank Merlin you made it to Ted's and Andy's place." Sirius sighed in relief, as he rubbed Teulu's hand.

**Teulu's head was swimming. 'Hagrid,' she repeated stupidly, and her knees buckled.**

"It isn't stupid Lu your worried about Hagrid." Luna placated.

**The next thing she knew, she was lying on her back on what felt like cushions, with a burning sensation in her ribs and right arm. Her missing tooth had been regrown. The scar on her forehead was throbbing. 'Hagrid?' She opened her eyes and saw that she was lying on a sofa in an unfamiliar, lamplit sitting room. Her rucksack lay on the floor a short distance away, wet and muddy. A fair-haired, big-bellied man was watching Teulu anxiously.  
**  
"My dad." Tonks smiled happily as she leant in to Kingsley's shoulder.

**'Hagrid's fine, hun,' said the man, 'the wife's seeing to him now. How are you feeling? Anything else broken? I've fixed your ribs, your tooth and your arm. _Your baby is also fine and I can tell by your face that you didn't know for certain that you were pregnant. From the scan you're just a month pregnant.' The man assured her; Teulu sighed in relief and rested further into the couch cushions absentmindly rubbing her flat stomach._ 'I'm Ted, by the way. Ted Tonks- Dora's father.'  
Teulu sat up too quickly: lights popped in front of her eyes and she felt sick and giddy as everything in the room started to spin.  
**  
Madam Pomfrey could be heard muttering about having a concussion while pregnant.

**'Voldemort-'  
'Easy, now,' said Ted Tonks, placing a hand on Teulu's shoulder and pushing her back against the cushions. 'That was a nasty crash you just had. What happened, anyway? Something go wrong with the bike? Arthur Weasley overstretch himself again, him and his Muggle contraptions?'  
**  
"Hey!" Arthur exclaimed causing those who knew him to start laughing.

**'No,' said Teulu, as her scar pulsed like an open wound. 'Death Eaters, loads of them- we were chased-'**

"Thanks for scaring my dad Lu." Tonks said. When Teulu looked St her she saw there was no heat behind her words and that Tonks was smiling at her.

**'Death Eaters?' said Ted sharply. 'What d'you mean, Death Eaters? I thought they didn't know you were being moved tonight, I thought -'  
'They knew,' said Teulu looking at Ted worriedly. Ted Tonks looked up at the ceiling as though he could see through it to the sky above. 'Well, we know our protective charms hold, then, don't we? They shouldn't be able to get within a hundred yards of the place in any direction.'  
**  
Everyone in the Hall let out the breaths they didn't know they had been holding.

**Now Teulu understood why Voldemort had vanished; it had been at the point when the motorbike crossed the barrier of the Order's charms. She only hoped they would continue to work: she imagined Voldemort, a hundred yards above them as they spoke, looking for a way to penetrate what Teulu visualised as a great, transparent bubble. She swung her legs off the sofa; she needed to see Hagrid with her own eyes before she would believe that he was alive.  
**  
Hagrid blushed but smiled at Teulu glad that she cared about him as he cared about her as a close friend or even like a daughter.

**She had barely stood up, however, when the door opened and Hagrid squeezed through it, his face covered in mud and blood, limping a little but miraculously alive. 'Lu!' Knocking over two delicate tables and an aspidistra, he covered the floor between them in two strides and pulled Teulu into a hug that nearly cracked her newly repaired ribs. 'Blimey, Teulu, how did yeh get out o' that? I thought we were both goners.'  
**  
"I'm glad Lu isn't a goner." Sirius said squeezing his daughter's hand.

**'Yeah, me too. I can't believe-' Teulu broke off: she had just noticed the woman who had entered the room behind Hagrid. 'You!' she shouted, and she thrust her hand into her pocket, but it was empty.  
**  
"Oh. I know why your upset." both Sirius and Tonks said before they looked at each other shocked to the amusement of others before Tonks continued. "I know why your upset Lu. But my mum is not going to like the insinuation, she hates people saying she looks like her."

**'You wand's here, Hun,' said Ted, tapping it on Teulu's arm. 'It fell right beside you, I picked it up. And that's my wife you're shouting at.'  
'Oh, I'm –I'm sorry.' As she moved forwards into the room, Mrs Tonks's resemblance to her sister Bellatrix became much less pronounced: her hair was a light, soft brown and her eyes were wider and kinder. Nevertheless, she looked a little haughtily after Teulu's exclamation.**

The people throughout the Hall who didn't understand what Tonks and Sirius were talking about earlier understood making Teulu feel bad. Draco chuckled knowing that Teulu would be feeling bad at what her future self did, pulled her closer to him glad that she and the future baby was alright before he was hit with a wave of sadness when he remembered what Scorpious said earlier.

**'What happened to our daughter?' she asked. 'Hagrid said you were ambushed; where is Nymphadora?'**

Tonks groaned and leaned her head on Kingsley's shoulder before turning and glaring at everyone in the Hall and warning them not to call her by that name.

**'I don't know,' said Teulu, 'We don't know what happened to anyone else I'm sorry.' She and Ted exchanged looks. A mixture of fear and guilt gripped Teulu at the sight of their expressions; if any of the others had died, it was her fault, all her fault. She had consented to the plan, given them her hair... _fear gripped Teulu at such an intensity that she had to grip er stomach to stop herself from being sick, as she thought of her Papa she couldn't lose him not after just losing her dad nearly two years ago she just couldn't lose him too, not after just losing Hedwig..._**_  
_  
"You're not going to lose me Cub I promise you I'm not going anywhere." Remus said as he kissed her on the forehead.

"You're not going to lose me either this time Pup I promise." Sirius said also kissing her on the forehead, when she turned to look back up at the teachers table Sirius and Remus looked at each other and made a silent vow that they would never lose her after not long adopting her, she had lost too much, and they swore that she wouldn't lose anymore if they had a say in it.

**'The Portkey,' she said, remembering all of a sudden. 'We've got to get back to The Burrow and find out – then we'll be able to send you word, or-or Tonks will once she's-'  
'Dora'll be OK, Dromeda,' said Ted, 'She knows her stuff; she's been in plenty of tight spots with the Aurors. The Portkey's through here,' he added to Teulu. 'It's supposed to leave in three minutes, if you want to take it.'  
'Yeah, we do,' said Teulu. She seized her rucksack, swung it on to her shoulders. 'I-' She looked at Mrs Tonks, wanting to apologise for the state of fear in which she left her and for which she felt so terribly responsible, but no words occurred to her that did not seem hollow and insincere.  
**  
"They would have understood Lu." Sirius promised her. Teulu smiled gratefully at her dad and kissed his cheek and gave him a hug before turning back to McGonagall.

**'I'll tell Tonks – Dora - to send word, when she ... thanks for patching us up, thanks for everything I - ' She was glad to leave the room and follow Ted Tonks along a short hallway and into a bedroom. Hagrid came after them, bending low to avoid hitting his head on the door lintel. 'There you go, hun. That's the Portkey.' Mr Tonks was pointing to a small, silver-backed hairbrush lying on the dressing table.  
'Thanks,' said Teulu, reaching out to place a finger on it, ready to leave.  
'Wait a moment,' said Hagrid, looking around. 'Teulu, where's Hedwig?'  
'She... she got hit,' said Teulu. The realisation crashed over her: she felt so ashamed of herself as the tears stung her eyes. Hedwig had been her companion, her first friend, her one great link with the magical world whenever she had been forced to return to the Dursleys.  
**  
"Cub there is no need to feel ashamed of that it's normal to want to cry when you lose someone special to you and I know Hedwig is special to you. Never feel ashamed of feeling grief or any other emotion to someone its what makes us human." Remus said as he kissed his Cub's head sadly.

**Hagrid reached out a great hand and patted her on the shoulder. 'Never mind,' he said gruffly, 'Never mind. She had a great old life-'  
'Hagrid!' said Ted Tonks warningly, as the hairbrush glowed bright blue, and Hagrid only just got his forefinger to it in time. With a jerk behind the navel as though an invisible hook and line had her forwards, Teulu was pulled into nothingness, spinning uncontrollably, her finger glued to the Portkey as she and Hagrid hurtled away from Mr Tonks: seconds later Teulu's feet slammed on to hard ground and she fell on her hands and knees in the yard of The Burrow. She heard screams.  
**  
"What why would there be screams?" Mrs Weasley asked.  
"Don't worry dear its probably just you, Ginny and Draco happy that Lu is back safe." Mr Weasley assured her, though he too looked worried.

**Throwing aside the no longer glowing hairbrush, Teulu stood up, swaying slightly, and saw Mrs Weasley and Ginny running down the steps by the back door, _Draco in the lead_ as Hagrid, who had also collapsed on landing, clambered laboriously to his feet. _Teulu started as she felt muscled arms wrap around her waist, but relaxed when she recognised his scent. "Dray." Teulu sighed as she leaned back against his chest. Draco chuckled as he held her close to his chest. "I now know that you're the real Teulu, as no one but you calls me that, but just to check. What was we talking about earlier this evening before The Order came to Privet Drive?" Draco asked in a whisper.  
"We were talking about that I might be pregnant. Which I am. Ted Tonks told me when he checked me over after I had come around when we crashed into their garden." Teulu said happily as she turned around in Draco's embrace and wrapped her arms around his neck._**

"What? Are you alright? Is the baby alright?" Draco asked panicked as he placed one hand on her cheek and the other on her stomach. Teulu giggled and pecked his lips. "We're fine Draco Ted made sure of that." Teulu whispered but before they could continue they were interrupted by Mrs Weasley and Ginny who had just reached them and had obviously wanted to give them so time alone, 'which is strange for Mrs Weasley' Teulu thought 'she is just as bad as Papa is where Draco and her spending time alone goes.'  
  
Everyone in the hall laughed at that.

**'Teulu? You are the real Teulu? What happened? Where are the others? Cried Mrs Weasley. _Teulu looked over and glared at Draco over her shoulder._  
'What d'you mean? Isn't anyone else back?' Teulu panted. The answer was clearly etched on Mrs Weasley's pale face. 'The Death Eaters were waiting for us,' Teulu told her _ignoring Draco's fearful shout as he held her tighter to him._ 'We were surrounded the moment we took off – they knew it was tonight – I don't know what happened to anyone else. Four of them chased us, it was all we could do to get away, and then Voldemort caught up with us -' She could hear the self-justifying note in her voice, the plea for her to understand why she did not know what had happened to her sons, but -  
'Thank goodness you're all right,' she said, pulling _her out of Draco's tight embrace and_ into a hug she did not feel she deserved.  
'Haven't go' any brandy, have yeh, Molly?' asked Hagrid a little shakily. 'Fer medicinal purposes?'  
**  
"Sure Hagrid." Sirius grinned at his friend dragging out the word sure making Hagrid blush.

**She could have summoned it by magic, but as she hurried back towards the crooked house Teulu knew the she wanted to hide her face. _She turned back to Draco who immediately wrapped his arms around her waist as she leant back against his chest as_ she looked to Ginny and she answered her unspoken plea for information at once. 'Ron and Tonks should have been back first, but they missed their Portkey, it came back without them,' she said pointing at a rusty oilcan lying on the ground nearby. 'And that one,' she pointed to an ancient plimsoll, 'should have been Dad and Fred's, they were supposed to be second. You and Hagrid were third and,' she checked her watch _but was interrupted by Draco._**

'And if they made it babe, which I'm sure they did. Your Papa and George should be back in about a minute.' Draco said as he held her tighter and closer to himself when he felt her tense in worry for the only parent she had left. Mrs Weasley reappeared carrying a bottle of brandy, which she handed to Hagrid. He uncorked it and drank it straight down in one.  
  
Lee Jordan and Fred and George whistled appreciatively at Hagrid who grinned at them and gave them the thumbs up causing those who saw the interaction to burst out laughing.

**'Mum!' shouted Ginny, pointing to a spot several feet away. A blue light had appeared in the darkness: it grew larger and brighter, and _Teulu sighed in relief as her Papa_ and George appeared, spinning and then falling. Teulu knew immediately that there was something wrong _as her Papa_ was supporting George, who was unconscious and whose face was covered in blood.**

The Weasleys turned and stared at the twins in horror as Fred held onto his younger brother tightly. "Don't you dare leave me Georgie you understand. If you do I'll bring you back just to kill you again." Fred said firmly, which also clued in the rest of the Hall who was who.  
"I won't leave you Freddie I promise." George said as he hugged his brother back just as tightly. "That also goes to you too Freddie."

**Teulu _and Draco ran forwards, Draco_ seizing George's legs. Together, he and Remus carried George into the house _with Teulu following behind them,_ through the kitchen to the sitting room, where they laid him on the sofa. As the lamplight fell across George's head, Ginny _and Teulu gasped and Teulu had to cover her mouth_ as her stomach lurched: one of George's ears was missing. The side of his head and neck were drenched in wet, shockingly scarlet blood.  
**  
There was silence in the Hall as everyone was staring at George in shock and fear in some cases. The silence continued until George, finally having enough of the staring decided to break it. "Oh. Cheer up you grumpy bunch of Grindylows. I'm alive ain't I. Anyways I'm holey now." George said smirking only to be slapped around the back of his head by Fred. "That was absolutely pathetic. The whole world with ear related humour before you and you go for something as lame as 'I'm holey'" Fred said shaking his head.  
"At least I'm better looking than you Freddie." George shot back.  
"Are not."  
"Are too."  
"Are not."  
"Are too."  
"Are - "

"BOYS!" Mrs Weasley shouted.  
"Fine than. Let's ask Teulu." Fred said. "Lu who is the better looking twin out of me and Forge here." Teulu looked at them weighing them up before smirking at them, which made those who knew that smirk to move away from her, the teachers groaned as they saw that Teulu had gotten Sirius's smirk. They looked over to him and saw that he was smiling at her in pride, while Remus was trying and failing to hide his own smirk. "Well ... I would say that the best looking in one is ..."

"Yes it's me isn't it. See Fred I told you." George said.  
"I hadn't finished Forge Now I have to re start." Teulu said with a sigh making Sirius snigger. "Well as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I would say that best looking one is ... Draco." Teulu finished making Draco, Sirius and Remus to burst out laughing. "That was cruel Lu." Fred and George huffed but they winked at her making her giggle as she knew that was their way of saying that they approved.

**No sooner had Mrs Weasley bent over her son than Remus grabbed Teulu by the upper arm and dragged her, none too gently, back into the kitchen; _with Draco following behind shouting at Remus to let Teulu go,_ where Hagrid was still attempting to ease his bulk through the back door.**

"What are you doing to our Cub?" Sirius asked narrowing his eyes at Remus. Remus held his hands up in a placating manor. "I'm probably just checking that Teulu is not an imposter." Remus assured but sent a look of sorrow to his daughter, wondering why his future self was treating his daughter like that he would never do that to her even if he was going to check to make sure she wasn't an imposter.

**'Oi!' said Hagrid indignantly. 'Le' go of her! Le' go of Lu!' Remus ignored him_. 'What was the last thing I said to Teulu? And when was the last time I saw her?' he said, giving Teulu a small shake causing Draco to draw his wand at Remus, 'Let. Her. Go. Now!' Draco demanded,_ but Remus ignored him again. Answer me!'  
_'Papa you - you said that you w-were proud of me and that you wouldn't leave me, that you'd always be there for me.' Teulu said tears running down her face. 'I - I last saw you at my wedding to Draco in a Registry Office where you gave me away.' Teulu said through her sobs. Remus released Teulu and pulled her into his arms and rubbing her back soothingly as she sobbed onto her shoulder. 'Wha' was tha' about?' roared Hagrid and Draco in different stages of anger._**

'I'm sorry, Cub, but I had to check, I didn't mean to upset you or - or scare you,' said Remus with a grimace on his face at the thought. 'We've been betrayed. Voldemort knew that you were being moved tonight and the only people who could have told him where directly involved in the plan. You might have been an imposter. I'm sorry Cub please calm down.' Remus said sadly as Teulu's sobs turned into hiccups, Remus kissed her head and held her close.  
  
**'So why aren't you checkin' me?' panted Hagrid, still struggling to fit through the door.  
_'And why didn't you ask me,' Draco demanded with a glare directed at Remus. 'I think I would know my own wife to know whether someone was imposing as her and I did ask her a question as well.'  
_'You're half-giant,' said Remus looking up at Hagrid. 'The PolyJuice Potion is designed for human use only _and Draco I'm sorry I just panicked when I saw all those Death Eaters waiting for us. I was worried for my daughter and I think the fear had just consumed me too much, when you have kids you'll understand.'  
Teulu and Draco shared a look that Remus caught. 'What?' Remus asked frowning.  
'We do understand Papa, more than you think.'  
'What do you mean?' Remus asked pulling back to look at her face, hoping she didn't mean what he thought she meant.  
_**  
"Oh this is going to be good." Fred, George and Lee said rubbing their hands with smirks on their faces.

**_'I'm pregnant Papa. Ted said that I'm just a month pregnant.' Teulu said looking at her Papa with wary eyes. Remus sighed and looked at Teulu, who was still in his arms and then to Draco before looking back at his daughter with another sigh.  
'I'll be honest Cub. I'm not happy that your sixteen and pregnant and that there is also a war going on, but I know you and I know that you'll keep the baby and know this Cub I will be there for you whenever you need me.' Remus said smiling weakly as he ran a hand down his face.  
'Are you sure your okay with this Papa?' Teulu asked. Remus pulled her gently back into his arms. 'Yes Cub. As I've already told you, I'll always be there for you. I love you Cub.' Remus said.  
'Love you too Papa.' Teulu said kissing his cheeks and smiling happily at him and Draco._**

'Papa. **None of the Order would have told Voldemort we were moving tonight,' said Teulu after a little while: the idea was dreadful to her, she could not believe it of any of them. 'Voldemort only caught up with me towards the end, he didn't know which one I was in the beginning. If he'd been in on the plan, he'd have known from the start I was the one with Hagrid.'  
**  
"Way to give me and Draco a heart attack Cub?" Remus said shaking his head.  
"Sorry." Teulu apologised.

**'Voldemort caught up with you?' Remus and Draco asked sharply. 'What happened? How did you escape?' Teulu explained briefly,  
**  
"Oh if Lu's explaining briefly that means she doesn't tell you everything or she doesn't tell you the most important bits as she doesn't want you to worry." Ron said making Teulu blush.

**how the Death Eaters pursuing them hand seemed to recognise her as the true Teulu, how they had abandoned the chase, how they must have summoned Voldemort, who had appeared just before she and Hagrid had reached the sanctuary of Tonks's parents'.  
'They recognised you? But how? What had you done?'  
'I ...' Teulu tried to remember; the whole journey seemed like a blur of panic and confusion. 'I saw Stan Shunpike ... you know, the bloke who was the conductor on the Knight Bus? And I tried to Disarm him instead of – well, he doesn't know what he's doing, does he? He must be Imperiused!' Remus looked aghast.**

'Teulu, the time for Disarming is past! _Cub!_ These people are trying to capture and kill you! At least stun if you aren't prepared to kill!'

**'We were hundreds of feet up! Stan's not himself, and if I stunned him and he'd fallen, he'd have died the same as if I'd used Aveda Kedavra! Expelliarmus saved me from Voldemort two years ago," Teulu added defiantly. Remus was reminding her of the sneering Hufflepuff Zacharias Smith, who had jeered at Teulu for wanting to teach Dumbledore's Army how to Disarm.**

"Ahha you are creating an Army to fight against me." Fudge pointed at Dumbledore.

"No he isn't I created it to teach people how to protect themselves and we named it after Dumbledore because that is what you think, thought it has nothing to do with Dumbledore." Teulu said.

**"Yes, Lu," said Remus with painful restraint, "and a great number of Death Eaters witnessed that happening! Forgive me, but it was a very unusual move then, under the imminent threat of death. Repeating it tonight in front of Death Eaters who either witnessed or heard about the first occasion was close to suicidal!"**

"So you think I should have killed Stan Shunpike?" said Teulu angrily _ignoring Draco who was telling her that she should calm down as it wasn't good for her or the baby._

"Of course not," said Remus, "but the Death Eaters - frankly, most people! - would have expected you to attack back! Expelliarmus is a useful spell, _Cub_, but the Death Eaters seem to think it is your signature move, and I urge you not to let it become so!"  
  
"Good advice Remus," said Sirius happy his husband was there for their daughter and kissed Remus to show he was grateful.

**Remus was making Teulu feel idiotic and she didn't like it when her Papa made her feel that way, and yet there was still a grain of defiance inside her. 'I won't blast people out of my way just because they're there," said Teulu heatedly, "That's Voldemort's job.'  
**  
"Good one Lu," said Lee

**Remus' retort was lost: Finally succeeding in squeezing through the door, Hagrid staggered to a chair and sat down; it collapsed beneath him. Ignoring his mingled oaths and apologies, Teulu addressed _her Papa_ again.  
**  
Hagrid blushed embarrassed that he had broken a chair.

**"Will George be okay?"  
**  
"Change of topic," said Ernie

**All Remus's frustration with Teulu seemed to drain away at the question.**

"It worked," laughed Lee

**'I think so Cub; although there's no chance of replacing his ear, not when it's been cursed off-'**

**There was a scuffling from outside. Remus dived for the back door; Teulu leapt over Hagrid's legs _with Draco holding her waist so she didn't fall_ and sprinted into the yard.**

Two figures had appeared in the yard, and as Teulu ran toward them she realized they were Hermione, now returning to her normal appearance, and Kingsley, both clutching a bent coat hanger, Hermione flung herself into Teulu's arms _with Draco growling at Hermione while trying to separate Teulu from Hermione_, but Kingsley showed no pleasure at the sight of any of them. Over Hermione's shoulder Teulu saw him raise his wand and point it _at her Papa's_ chest.  
  
"Oh dear," said Hermione

**"The last words Albus Dumbledore spoke to the pair of us!"**

"Teulu is the best hope we have. Trust her.' said Remus calmly.  
  
"Wise words have never been spoken." Katie Bell said seriously making Teulu blush as the rest of the D.A., Draco, Blaise, Daphne, Astoria and Millicent nodding in agreement.

**Kingsley turned his wand on Teulu, but Remus said, 'It's her, I've checked!'**

**"All right, all right!" said Kingsley, stowing his wand back beneath his cloak, "But somebody betrayed us! They knew, they knew it was tonight!"**

"So it seems," replied Remus, "but apparently they did not realize that there would be seven Lu's.'

"Small comfort!" snarled Kingsley. "Who else is back?"

"Only Lu, Hagrid, George, and me."

Hermione stifled a little moan behind her hand.

'What happened to you?' Remus asked Kingsley.

'Followed by five, injured two, might've killed one,' Kingsley reeled off, 'and we saw You-Know-Who as well, he joined the chase halfway through but vanished pretty quickly. Remus, he can-'.

"Fly," supplied Teulu. "I saw him too; he came after Hagrid and me."

"So that's why he left, to follow you!" said Kingsley, "I couldn't understand why he'd vanished. But what made him change targets?"  
  
**'Lu behaved a little too kindly to Stan Shunpike," said Remus.  
**  
"Behave Remus," muttered Narcissa.

**"Stan?" repeated Hermione. "But I thought he was in Azkaban?"**

Kingsley let out a mirthless laugh.

"Hermione, there's obviously been a mass breakout which the Ministry has hushed up. Travers's hood fell off when I cursed him, he's supposed to be inside too. But what happened to you, Remus? Where's George?"  
  
"What is there a point in the Ministry if they don't tell you things like this?" questioned Collin Creevey.

**'He lost an ear,' said Remus.**

'Lost an ear?' repeated Hermione in a high voice.

'Snape's work,' said Remus.  
  
Everyone turned to Severus who had his hands up and said, "I wish you would stop acting as if I've done this now." He snarled at everyone.

"He's right," Teulu said. "It's his future self that is doing this and we are changing this!" Everyone blinked at her before turning back to the book, but her hand was being squeezed at the thought of changing the future.

**'Snape?' shouted Teulu. 'You didn't say'-**

**"He lost his hood during the chase. Sectumsempra was always a specialty of Snape's. I wish I could say I'd paid him back in kind, but it was all I could do to keep George on the broom after he was injured, he was losing so much blood."  
Silence fell between the five of them as they looked up at the sky, Teulu rested her head on Draco's shoulder as he held her closer as if he was trying to protect her from everything. There was no sign of movement; the stars stared back, unblinking, indifferent, unobscured by flying friends. Where was Ron? Where were Fred and Mr. Weasley? Where were Bill, Fleur, Tonks, Mad-Eye, and Mundungus?**

**"Lu, give us a hand!" called Hagrid hoarsely from the door, in which he was stuck again. Glad of something to do, Teulu _with Draco as he wouldn't let her do it herself,_ pulled him free, _they_ headed through the empty kitchen and back into the sitting room, where Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were still tending to George. Mrs. Weasley had staunched his bleeding now, and by the lamplight Teulu saw a clean gaping hole where George's ear had been. "How is he?"**

Mrs. Weasley looked around and said, "I can't make it grow back, not when it's been removed by Dark Magic. But it could've been so much worse... He's alive."

"So I'm going to have one ear." George said. "Wicked." He smiled and high-fived his brother.

**"Yeah," said Teulu. "Thank God."**

"Did I hear someone else in the yard?" Ginny asked.

_'Grang... Hermione and Kingsley," said Draco._

"Thank goodness," Ginny whispered. They looked at each other; _Teulu wanted to hug her, assure her sister as well as herself that everything will be alright_, but before she could act on the impulse, there was a great crash from the kitchen.

"I'll prove who I am, Kingsley, after I've seen my son, now back off if you know what's good for you!"

**Teulu had never heard Mr. Weasley shout like that before. He burst into the living room, his bald patch gleaming with sweat, his spectacles askew, Fred right behind him, both pale but uninjured.**

**"Arthur!" sobbed Mrs. Weasley. "Oh thank goodness!"**

"How is he?"

Mr. Weasley dropped to his knees beside George. For the first time since Teulu had known him, Fred seemed to be lost for words. He gaped over the back of the sofa at his twin's wound as if he could not believe what he was seeing.  
  
"Poor thing," said Narcissa

**Perhaps roused by the sound of Fred and their father's arrival, George stirred.**

"How do you feel, Georgie?" whispered Mrs. Weasley.

George's fingers groped for the side of his head.

"Saint like," he murmured.  
  
Everyone in the hall burst out laughing as George had said the same as his future self.

**"What's wrong with him?" croaked Fred, looking terrified. "Is his mind affected?"**

"Saint like," repeated George, opening his eyes and looking up at his brother. "You see... I'm holy. Holey, Fred, geddit?"  
  
"Brilliant," said Lee.

**Mrs. Weasley sobbed harder than ever. Colour flooded Fred's pale face.**

"Pathetic," he told George. "Pathetic! With the whole wide world of ear-related humour before you, you go for holey?"

**"Ah well," said George, grinning at his tear-soaked mother. "You'll be able to tell us apart now, anyway, Mum."**

"That's true," said Hermione.

**He looked around. "Hi, Lu -you are Lu, right?"**

"Yeah, I am," said Teulu, moving closer to the sofa.

"Well, at least we got you back okay," said George. "Why aren't Ron and Bill huddled round my sickbed?"

**"They're not back yet, George," said Mrs. Weasley. George's grin faded. Teulu _looked up at Draco and kissed his cheek before nodding over to Ginny. Draco nodded _and motioned Ginny to accompany _them _back outside. As they walked through the kitchen she said in a low voice.**

"Ron and Tonks should be back by now. They didn't have a long journey; Auntie Muriel's not that far from here."

Teulu said nothing. She had been trying to keep fear at bay ever since reaching the Burrow, but now it enveloped her, seeming to crawl over her skin, throbbing in her chest, clogging her throat, _Draco seeing the despair and fear building up in Teulu pulled her closer to himself while staving off his own fear in favour of comforting his wife_. As they walked down the back steps into the dark yard, Ginny took her hand and squeezed it as reassurance.  
  
"Aw…" Molly said. "My youngest girls are soo sweet." She cooed making Teulu and Ginny blush

**Kingsley was striding backward and forward, glancing up at the sky every time he turned. Teulu was reminded of Uncle Vernon pacing the living room a million years ago. Hagrid, Hermione, and Lupin stood shoulder to shoulder, gazing upward in silence. None of them looked around when Teulu, _Draco_ and Ginny joined their silent vigil.**

**The minutes stretched into what might as well have been years. The slightest breath of wind made them all jump and turn toward the whispering bush or tree in the hope that one of the missing Order members might leap unscathed from its leaves –**

And then a broom materialized directly above them and streaked toward the ground -

"It's them!" screamed Hermione.

"Merlins beard Hermione calm down." Sirius said though he was grinning at the blushing girl.

**Tonks landed in a long skid that sent earth and pebbles everywhere.**

"_Kingsley_!" Tonks cried as she staggered off the broom into _Kingsley's_ arms. His face was set and white: He seemed unable to speak, Ron tripped dazedly toward Teulu and Hermione.

"Aw… Kingsley and Tonks," cooed Sirius, but he yelped as Tonks shot a Stinging Hex at him.

**"You're okay," he mumbled, before Hermione flew at him and hugged him tightly.**

"I thought-I thought-"

"'M all right," said Ron, patting her on the back. "'M fine."

"Ron was great," said Tonks warmly, relinquishing her hold on Kingsley. "Wonderful. Stunned one of the Death Eaters, straight to the head, and when you're aiming at a moving target from a flying broom ¨

"You did?" said Hermione, gazing up at Ron with her arms still around his neck.

"Always the tone of surprise," he said a little grumpily, breaking free. "Are we the last back?"

"No," said Ginny, "we're still waiting for Bill and Fleur and Mad-Eye and Mundungus. I'm going to tell Mum and Dad you're okay, Ron-"  
  
"Something funny is going on with Mundungus," said Minerva and everyone agreed.

**She ran back inside.**

"So what kept you? What happened?" Kingsley sounded almost angry at Tonks.

"Good going Kings," said Sirius.

**"Bellatrix," said Tonks. "She wants me quite as much as she wants Teulu _and Draco_, _Kings_; she tried very hard to kill me. I just wish I'd got her, I owe Bellatrix. But we definitely injured Rudolphus... Then we got to Ron's Auntie Muriel's and we missed our Portkey and she was fussing over us-"**

A muscle was jumping in _Kingsley_'s jaw. He nodded, but seemed unable to say anything else.

**"So what happened to you lot?" Tonks asked, turning to Teulu, Draco, Hermione, and Remus _who had moved to stand beside Teulu who sighed as she saw that her Papa had become even more over-protective, if that was possible since he had found out she was pregnant._**

"I have every right to be your my Cub and I love you and I worry about you." Remus said.****

They recounted the stories of their own journeys, but all the time the continued absence of Bill, Fleur, Mad-Eye, and Mundungus seemed to lie upon them like a frost, its icy bite harder and harder to ignore.

**_"Don't you have to be back at Downing Street?" Tonks asked Kingsley._**

**_"Yes. I was meant to be back an hour ago." Kingsley said finally holding Tonks closer to him as he did another sweeping gaze of the sky. "But it won't hurt for a few more hours."_**

**_"Nonsense Kings you need to do to Downing Street we'll let you know when the others are back." Tonks said firmly that Kingsley didn't argue. Kingsley sighed and nodded and kissed Tonks on the lips passionately before looking up at the sky once more._**

With a wave to the others, Kingsley walked away into the darkness toward the gate. Teulu thought he heard the faintest pop as Kingsley Disapparated just beyond the Burrow's boundaries.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came racing down the back steps, Ginny behind them. Both parents hugged Ron before turning to Remus and Tonks.

"Thank you," said Mrs. Weasley, "for our sons."

"Don't be silly, Molly," said Tonks at once.

"How's George?" asked Remus.

"What's wrong with him?" piped up Ron.

"He's lost-"

But the end of Mrs. Weasley's sentence was drowned in a general outcry. A Thestral had just soared into sight and landed a few feet from them. Bill and Fleur slid from its back, windswept but unhurt.

"So it's only Mad-Eye and Mundungus left to come back," said Teulu looking at the man worriedly.

"Bill! Thank God, thank God-"

Mrs. Weasley ran forward, but the hug Bill bestowed upon her was perfunctory. Looking directly at his father, he said, "Mad-Eye's dead."

everyone was silent in the hall for a few minutes. Tonks crying quietly into Kingsley's shoulder, Teulu in the same position but with her head resting on her dad's and Draco rubbing her back in soothing circles.

"I'm not dead yet and everyone has to go eventually." Mad-eye grumbled. "Tonks, Teulu don't waste your tears on me you need to have CONSTANT VIGILANCE." He shouted making everyone jump.

"What about Mundungus?" asked Sirius.

**Nobody spoke, nobody moved. Teulu felt as though something inside her was falling, falling through the earth, leaving her forever.**

Mad-eye looked at the girl snuggled into Black's side and had to admit to himself that he was touched that the girl cared about him so much as she sobbed into her father's side.  
**"We saw it," said Bill; Fleur nodded, tear tracks glittering on her cheeks in the light from the kitchen window. "It happened just after we broke out of the circle: Mad-Eye and Dung was close by us, they were heading north too. Voldemort-he can fly-went straight for them. Dung panicked, I heard him cry out, Mad-Eye tried to stop him, but he Disapparated. Voldemort's curse hit Mad-Eye full in the face, he fell backward off his broom and-there was nothing we could do, nothing, we had half a dozen of them on our own tail-"**

"He knew he would mess up," sighed Arthur.

**Bill's voice broke.**

**"Of course you couldn't have done anything," said Remus.**

They all stood looking at each other. Teulu could not quite comprehend it. Mad-Eye dead; it could not be... Mad-Eye, so tough, so brave, the consummate survivor...

At last it seemed to dawn on everyone, though nobody said it, that there was no point of waiting in the yard anymore, and in silence they followed Mr. And Mrs. Weasley back into the Burrow, and into the living room, where Fred and George were laughing together.

"What's wrong?" said Fred, scanning their faces as they entered, "What's happened? Who's - ?"

"Mad-Eye," said Mr. Weasley, "Dead."

**The twins' grins turned to grimaces of shock. Nobody seemed to know what to do. Tonks was crying silently into a handkerchief: She had been close to Mad-Eye, Teulu knew, his favourite and his protégé at the Ministry of Magic. Hagrid, who had sat down on the floor in the corner where he had most space, was dabbing at his eyes with his tablecloth-sized handkerchief.**

Bill walked over to the sideboard and pulled out a bottle of fire-whisky and some glasses.

"Here," he said, and with a wave of his wand, he sent twelve full glasses soaring through the room to each of them, holding the thirteenth aloft. "Mad-Eye."

"Mad-Eye," they all said_, and drank except Teulu who had been given a glass of Pumpkin juice by her Papa._

"Mad-Eye," echoed Hagrid, a little late, with a hiccup.  
"So Mundungus disappeared?" said Remus, who had drained his own glass in one.

The atmosphere changed at once. Everybody looked tense, watching Remus, both **wanting him to go on, it seemed to Teulu, and slightly afraid of what they might hear.**

**"I know what you're thinking," said Bill, "and I wondered that too, on the way back here, because they seemed to be expecting us, didn't they? But Mundungus can't have betrayed us. They didn't know there would be seven Teulu's, that confused them the moment we appeared, and in case you've forgotten, it was Mundungus who suggested that little bit of skulduggery. Why wouldn't he have told them the essential point? I think Dung panicked, it's as simple as that. He didn't want to come in the first place, but Mad-Eye made him, and You-Know-Who went straight for them. It was enough to make anyone panic."**

"That confuses things a bit," said Susan.

**"You-Know-Who acted exactly as Mad-Eye expected him to," sniffed Tonks. "Mad-Eye said he'd expect the real Lu to be with the toughest, most skilled Aurors. He chased Mad-Eye first, and when Mundungus gave them away he switched to Kingsley... "**

"Yes, and zat eez all very good," snapped Fleur, "but still eet does not explain 'ow zey know we were moving Teulu tonight, does eet? Somebody must 'ave been careless. Somebody let slip ze date to an outsider. It is ze only explanation for zem knowing ze date but not ze 'ole plan."

She glared around at them all; tear tracks still etched on her beautiful face, silently daring any of them to contradict her. Nobody did. The only sound to break the silence was that of Hagrid hiccupping from behind his handkerchief. Teulu glanced at Hagrid, who had just risked his own life to save Teulu's-Hagrid, whom she loved, whom she trusted, who had once been tricked into giving Voldemort crucial information in exchange for a dragon's egg...

"So there was a dragon's egg." McGonagall said faintly glaring at Teulu, Draco, Ron, Hermione and Neville.

"When was this?" Molly, Arthur, Remus, Sirius and Narcissa all asked at the same time.

"First year." The aforementioned students said uncertainly as the aforementioned parents gave their children a look that said they would be speaking about this later, while Neville and Hermione were glad that their parents and gran weren't there.

**"No," Teulu said aloud, and they all looked at her, surprised: "I mean... if somebody made a mistake," Teulu went on, "and let something slip, I know they didn't mean to do it. It's not their fault," she repeated, again a little louder than she would usually have spoken. "We've got to trust each other. I trust all of you; I don't think anyone in this room would ever sell me to Voldemort."**

"A few years ago I would have believed you Pup." Sirius said sadly, "Though I don't believe that any of the Weasleys, Hagrid, Tonks or Kingsley would betray you Pup and it goes without saying that Remus would never say anything to them." Sirius continued when Teulu went to interrupt.

**More silence followed her words. They were all looking at her; Teulu felt a little hot again, and drank some more _Pumpkin juice _for something to do, _as well as unconsciously wrapping an arm around her stomach and smiling in spite of the situation as Draco wrapped an arm around her waist and rested his hand on top of her's._ As she drank, she thought of Mad-Eye. Mad-Eye had always been scathing about Dumbledore's willingness to trust people.**

**"Well said, Lu," said Fred unexpectedly.**

"Year, 'ear, 'ear," said George, with half a glance at Fred, the corner of whose mouth twitched.

**Remus was wearing an odd expression as he looked at Teulu. It was close to pitying.**

"Why am I acting like this." Remus demanded as he looked at the hurt look on Teulu's face even as she tried to hide it.

"I believe your acting like this because you know she is planning something." McGonagall tried to placate her ex-student.

**"You think I'm a fool _Papa_?" demanded Teulu.**

"No I don't," said Remus smiling at her and was glad that she smiled back at him no matter what he was acting like in the book.

**"No Lu, I think you're like James," said Remus, "who would have regarded it as the height of dishonour to mistrust his friends."**

Teulu knew what Lupin was getting at: that his father had been betrayed by his friend Peter Pettigrew. She felt irrationally angry. She wanted to argue, but Remus had turned away from him, set down his glass upon a side table, and addressed Bill, "There's work to do. I can ask Kingsley whether-"  
  
**"No," said Bill at once, "I'll do it, I'll come."**

**"Where are you going?" said Teulu and Fleur together.**

"Mad-eye's body Cub," said Remus "We need to recover it."

"Can't it-?" began Mrs. Weasley with an appealing look at Bill.

"Wait?" said Bill, "Not unless you'd rather the Death Eaters took it?"

Nobody spoke. Remus and Bill said good bye and left.

The rest of them now dropped into chairs, all except for Teulu and Draco who still stood with his arms wrapped around her as she remained standing. The suddenness and completeness of death was with them like a presence.

"I've got to go too," said Teulu.

"No you're not." Sirius said fiercely

**Eleven pairs of startled eyes looked at her.**

"Don't be silly, Teulu," said Mrs. Weasley, "What are you talking about?"

"I can't stay here." She rubbed her forehead; it was prickling again, she had not hurt like this for more than a year._ "Babe don't be silly." Draco reprimanded gently.__  
_  
"It stopped hurting?" Teulu said astonished as she rubbed her constantly prickling scar.

"It stopped hurting at the end of this year actually after granddad died and Voldemort possessed you, killing you from the inside." Scorpious said sadly.

"How did Lu fight him off?" Draco asked fearfully pulling Teulu onto his lap.

"You can read what happened if you want, but mum thought of granddad Sirius, granddad Remus you dad and her friends and mum thought back." Scorpious smiled sadly at his mother.

**"You're all in danger while I'm here. I don't want-"**

"But don't be so silly!" said Mrs. Weasley. "The whole point of tonight was to get you here safely, and thank goodness it worked. And Fleur's agreed to get married here rather than in France, we've arranged everything so that we can all stay together and look after you - "

She did not understand; she was making her feel worse, not better.

"If Voldemort finds out I'm here-"

"He won't Lu, just stay," Sirius begged.

"Dad I'm right here." Teulu laughed shaking her head at her dad.

"I know that." Sirius said bashfully as he ruffled Teulu's hair and laughed as she pouted at him and slapped his hand away.

**"But why should he?" asked Mrs. Weasley.**

"There are a dozen places you might be now, Teulu." said Mr. Weasley. "He's got no way of knowing which safe house you're in."

"It's not me I'm worried for!" said Teulu. 

"Oh Pup." Sirius said as he hugged his daughter.

**_Draco held her tighter and discreetly rubbed her stomach where their baby was growing and rested his chin on her shoulder and kissed her neck. "I am worried about our baby Dray I'm just scared." Teulu whispered to him.  
"I know babe, I know and I'll do everything I can to protect the both of you." Drake whispered back kissing her neck once more._  
"We know that," said Mr. Weasley quietly, "but it would make our efforts tonight seem rather pointless if you left."**

"Yer not goin' anywhere," growled Hagrid. "Blimey, Lu, after all we wen' through ter get you here?"

"Yeah, what about my bleeding ear?" said George, hoisting himself up on his cushions.

"Making her feel guilty." Professor Flitwick said nodding his head. "As she's like Lily it should work, it even worked in James so it is a good plan."

"It does work, but the reason they left is horrible." Scorpious said the last uncertainly.

"When do we find out what happened?" Astoria asked.

"In a few chapters." Scorpious answered making the whole hall groan.

**"I know that-"**

"Mad-Eye wouldn't want-"

"That is below the belt to use me against her like that or any dead person like that." Mad-eye snarled. "Yes I wouldn't of wanted her to leave but to use someone who she has just lost, even if she doesn't know me that well is out of line."

**"I KNOW!" Teulu bellowed.**

She felt beleaguered and blackmailed: Did they think she did not know what they had done for her, didn't they understand that it was for precisely that reason that she wanted to go now, before they had to suffer any more on her behalf? There was a long and awkward silence in which her scar continued to prickle and throb, and which was broken at last by Mrs. Weasley.

**"Where's Hedwig, Teulu?" she said coaxingly. "We can put her up with Pidwidgeon and give her something to eat."**

"Oh dear." Angelina said looking at her little sister who was wrapped in Draco's arms and had tears in her eyes.

**Her insides clenched like a fist. She could not tell her the truth. She drank the last of her _Pumpkin juice_ to avoid answering.**

"Wait till it gets out yeh did it again, Lu," said Hagrid. "Escaped her, fought her off when she was right on top of yeh!"

"It wasn't me," said Teulu flatly. "It was my wand. My wand acted of its own accord."

"Oh dear we aren't going to believe her." Arthur said sadly.

**After a few moments, Hermione said gently, "But that's impossible, Teulu. You mean that you did magic without meaning to; you reacted instinctively."**

"No," said Teulu. "The bike was falling, I couldn't have told you where Voldemort was, but my wand spun in my hand and found him and shot a spell at him, and it wasn't even a spell I recognized. I've never made gold flames appear before."

"Often," said Mr. Weasley, "when you're in a pressured situation you can produce magic you never dreamed of. Small children often find, before they're trained-"

"It wasn't like that," said Teulu through gritted teeth. Her scar was burning. She felt angry and frustrated; she hated the idea that they were all imagining her to have power to match Voldemort's. No one said anything. She knew that they did not believe her. Now that she came to think of it, she had never heard of a wand performing magic on its own before. Her scar seared with pain, it was all she could do not to moan aloud. Muttering about fresh air, she set down her glass and left the room.

**As she crossed the yard, the great skeletal Thestral looked up-rustled its enormous bat like wings, then resumed its grazing. Teulu stopped at the gate into the garden, staring out at its overgrown plants, rubbing her pounding forehead and thinking of Dumbledore.**

Dumbledore would have believed her, she knew it. Dumbledore would have known how and why Teulu's wand had acted independently, because Dumbledore always had the answers; he had known about wands, had explained to Teulu the strange connection that existed between her wand and Voldemort's... But Dumbledore, like Mad-Eye, like _her dad_, like her parents, like her poor owl, all were gone where Teulu could never talk to them again.  


"Oh Cub." Remus said sadly.

**She felt a burning in her throat... _she startled as she felt arms wrap around her but she immediately knew that it was Draco and leant into his broad chest._**

All the women in the hall except Umbridge were crying.

**And then, out of nowhere, the pain in her scar peaked. As she clutched her forehead and closed her eyes, a voice screamed inside her head.**

"You told me the problem would be solved by using another's wand!"

"Is this the connection with Voldemort?" Sirius asked fearfully. Teulu just nodded her head from where it was pillowed against Draco's chest.

**And into her mind burst the vision of an emaciated old man lying in rags upon a stone floor, screaming, a horrible drawn-out scream, and a scream of unendurable agony...**

"No! No! I beg you, I beg you..."  
  
"Who is that?" Amelia asked fearfully

**"You lied to Lord Voldemort, Ollivander!"**

"Not Ollivander," said Professor Sprout.

**"I did not... I swear I did not..."**

**"You sought to help Potter, to help him escape me!"**

"I swear I did not... I believed a different wand would work..."

"Explain, then, what happened. Lucius's wand is destroyed!"

"I cannot understand... The connection... exists only… between your two wands..."

"Lies!"  
  
**"Please... I beg you..."**

**And Teulu saw the white hand raise its wand and felt Voldemort's surge of vicious anger, saw the frail old main on the floor writhe in agony..**  
**"Teulu?"**

**It was over as quickly as it had come: Teulu stood shaking in the darkness, _one hand_ clutching the gate into the garden _while the other was clutching onto Draco's shirt_, her heart racing, her scar still tingling. It was several moments before she realized that Ron and Hermione were at her side, _and that Draco had lifted her up into his arms holding her tightly to his chest, while she was calming down from the vision._**

**"Teulu, come back in the house," Hermione whispered, "You aren't still thinking of leaving?"  
**  
"You better not be sis." Fred and George said firmly shocking everyone as no one except a few had ever seen them like that.

**"Yeah, you've got to stay, mate," said Ron, thumping Teulu on the _arm._**

"Are you all right?" Hermione asked, close enough now to look into Teulu's face. "You look awful!" _Ignoring Draco's exclaim of, 'Of course she's not bloody alright.'_

"Well," said Teulu shakily, "I probably look better than Ollivander..."

**_"What do you mean babe?" Draco asked holding her closer to him as if he could protect her from relieving the vision. Teulu looked up at him and kissed his cheek before telling what she saw. _When she had finished telling them what he had seen, Ron _and Draco _ looked appalled, but Hermione downright terrified.**

"But it was supposed to have stopped! Your scar- it wasn't supposed to do this anymore! You mustn't let that connection open up again- Dumbledore wanted you to close your mind!"

"Good advice Miss Granger," said Dumbledore.

**When she did not reply, she gripped her arm. "Teulu, he's taking over the Ministry and the newspapers and half the Wizarding world! Don't let him inside your head too!"**

"That's the end of the chapter who wants to read next?" McGonagall asked.

"I will Minnie." Sirius said, laughing as McGonagall scowled at him and told him not to call her that as she floated the book over to him.


End file.
